All On His Shoulders
by NamikazeMinato99
Summary: The Kyuubi's attack on Konoha is just the beginning of the problems that Minato Namikaze has to face. After managing to save his wife and newborn son, he must now deal with the threats happening both outside of and within the village. Can he successfully meet these challenges head on or will it all come crashing down around him? AU. ON HIATUS FOR THE TIME BEING.
1. The Night Where It All Began

Chapter 1: The Night Where It All Began

A genius. The best Shinobi of his generation. The most powerful of all the Hokage. The Yellow Flash of the Leaf, that caused enemies to flee on sight.

Minato Namikaze had been called all of those things in the past, yet he didn't feel that he deserved them now. Not when he was watching that scene unfold in front of him. The Kyuubi rampaging through the village he was charged with the protection of, claiming the lives of people who trusted him. The sight of bodies littering the ground and of buildings being crushed with ease brought pain to his heart and the screams of helpless women and children rang in his ears, forever lodging themselves in his memory. His thoughts turned to his wife and newborn child, frightened and alone in that cabin he had been forced to leave them in. How many people would he let down in one night?

A huge roar came from the snout of the giant fox, as it spun around to face the Hokage Monument.

"Finally seen me have you?" Minato smirked, although the words were more for his own benefit than anyone else. Another horrible howl echoed across the chasm that separated Minato from the beast. The fox opened its jaw and summoned an enormous ball of dark chakra, which was ominously pointed towards the young man.

"Not a chance" Minato spat, as he quickly pulled a kunai from his pouch. The chakra was launched from the Kyuubi's mouth and was sent screaming towards him. However, just as the destructive power got close to the mountain an enormous seal appeared in the sky. The ball ploughed in to the seal and sank into it, like an object falling through quicksand. As soon as it vanished, Minato pointed his seal towards the far off mountains.

"_I need to be careful where I send something this size" _Minato thought, as the mountain range was reduced to rubble. He then turned his attention to the village and it's people to be more specific. Despite the distance, the identity of the man clad in black, leading the troops was unmistakeable.

"_Lord Third, I should have known you'd have been protecting the village in my absence. I need to tell him what happened, so that we can proceed with all the information we have."_

Just as he was about to form his Flying Thunder God technique, he felt the presence of another person behind him. Just the sight of the black cloak in the corner of his eye was enough for Minato, who swung his arm around and aimed a kunai at the hood of the cloak. To his horror, he found that his arm simply slipped straight through the figure, almost as if he were an illusion. Although, the solid grip of the man's hand as it clamped down on Minato's arm quickly changed that assumption.

"I will be your opponent," the man growled, his deep voice adding another element of fear to the occasion. "And, we're done here."

As soon as he finished talking, the world around Minato began to compress all around him. It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt and he could feel something akin to a gravitational pull towards the eyehole in the man's yellow mask. Panicked, Minato knew that he had only one option and within milliseconds he was released from his torturous experience.

_What was that?" _Minato wondered, as he gulped in breaths of precious air. He ran his hands through the grass beneath him, as he tried to make sense of this crazy night. _"My attack slipped straight through him, yet he had to solidify in order to touch me. What did he do after that? Was he trying to transport me into some other dimension?"_

"You will not escape from me that easily, Fourth Hokage" the man declared, while he materialised before Minato's very eyes.

"_He uses space time ninjutsu as well? So that's how he transported so far away in such a short amount of time after taking Kushina. He can use space-time ninjutsu that surpasses mine and he somehow knew about Kushina's seal weakening and the exact time and location we had chosen for the birth. I can only think of one man that could be this skilled and have so much knowledge."_

"Are you Madara Uchiha?" Minato asked, as the man pulled down his hood to reveal a small tuft of spikey black hair on the top of his head and a yellow mask with one hole presumably for an eye. "No, you couldn't be, he's long since dead."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that" the man replied, as he produced a long steel chain that he strapped to either wrist.

"_It doesn't matter who he is really, he's a bigger threat than the Kyuubi. I must take him out now!"_

"There's no hope for you!" Madara yelled, as he ran towards Minato. The Fourth Hokage did likewise, looking to wait for that moment he'd have to materialise to touch him. Just as Madara reached out his arm, Minato swung his blade at his body. However, once again he slipped right through and ran straight towards the long chain, which then wrapped itself around him. The metal dug into his skin and the pressure being exerted on him threatened to rip him in half. However, enough of his arm was free so that he could throw the kunai that he held and then teleported towards it and freed himself.

"_He dodges my attacks by making himself intangible and then solidifies in order to attack. However, this entire fight is a giant risk for him. No matter how much chakra he has, he can't keep something as colossal as the Kyuubi summoned for very long so he'll try to finish this quickly. It will all come down to a test of speed, whoever can strike first will win."_

Both men ran towards each other simultaneously once again. As Minato neared his target, he threw a kunai. As expected, the small projectile passed straight through Madara. Placing his arm to his side, he then created the biggest Rasengan he could in the small time frame he had.

"_I have to hold my nerve and wait until he thinks he has me!"_

Minato stared at Madara's hand, watching as it closed in on him. He waited, just until it got close enough to grasp him. Then, as he saw the fingers curl to touch his arm he put his plan into motion. Instantly, he was above Madara with his Rasengan raised into the air. Not wasting a second, he slammed it straight into the stretched back of Madara and smashed him into the dirt. The pressure from the attack was enough to create a small crater as Minato mercilessly continued to push down on his opponent. After a couple of excruciating seconds, Madara teleported away just a few feet. With his arm limp and his ego bruised, he cursed the Fourth Hokage under his breath. However, he didn't have the time to elaborate on his annoyance as the sharpness of the cool steel of Minato's kunai penetrated his abdomen. He knew right away what had happened, but it didn't help him to solve the problem he now had.

"A contract seal?" he stammered, as he noticed the marking that Minato had just placed above his stab wound. "Do you intend to remove the Kyuubi from my control?"

"I already did" Minato shot back, his voice filled with rage. "He is no longer your weapon!"

"You truly do deserve the title of Hokage" Madara said, as he stumbled backwards from Minato's weapon. "Being able to seriously injure me and take the Kyuubi from my control in one move is very impressive. However, don't think that this means you have won. There are many doors left open to me, this was just one. Rest assured, both the fox and this world will one day bow to my will."

At the completion of his sermon, Madara vanished. Minato took a moment of contemplation, staring at the now empty space.

"_I have a horrible feeling that he wasn't lying just then. However, I have no time to think of that right now. I must get to the village."_

* * *

"Keep going, don't let up for even a second!"

"We have to hold it off until the Fourth Hokage arrives!"

"Let me go! My parents are out there fighting, let me go!"

Many men have said that the sounds of war are the toughest to hear. Up until that night, Hiruzen Sarutobi had agreed with them. However, nothing could be compared to hearing the sounds of comrades dying while defending their home against such evil. In war, there is the at least the faint hope of victory and the adrenaline of the situation that had been prepared for to keep you going. Yet, this was completely different. There was no hope, no kind of preparation. They couldn't even protect the innocent villagers, they didn't have the time. How could everything have come to this?

"No, not that again!"

The Kyuubi arched its head backwards ominously. It was obviously preparing another one of those attacks, the one that Minato had dealt with last time. Yet, there was no Minato to save them now. Uncharacteristically, Hiruzen bitterly turned his thoughts to those who weren't there, wanting to find a scapegoat. Orochimaru, whose evil deeds also drove away Jiraiya leaving the three Sannin of Konoha absent when the village needed its strength the most. Minato, the man who he had given the role of Hokage to. Had he been wrong about him? Leaving now of all times isn't the sign of a strong leader after all.

"It's the Fourth!" a nameless Shinobi cried out. Scarcely able to believe his eyes, Hiruzen looked up to see the giant frame of Gamabunta sitting on top of the demon fox. On top of him, miniscule in comparison, was the figure of the young man he had been cursing just a second before. Hiruzen felt disgusted with himself for his doubts, while at the same time feeling a small rush of relief. Although, he also knew that even Minato's arrival wouldn't be enough to suddenly turn the tide of this battle. He quickly turned round to the ANBU that had gathered, wanting to find anyone that could put up a sufficient barrier to stop the blast that was still directed at them.

However, such a request wasn't necessary. Both the Kyuubi and Minato disappeared, leaving only a confused toad behind. When the horizon lit up with a bright light, it was obvious what Minato and done and where he had gone. The village was safe for the moment at least, but their troubles still remained.

"Enma, revert back to your normal form!" Hiruzen demanded and his faithful summon did as requested. Not wasting a second, Hiruzen jumped onto the back of the powerful monkey and pointed towards the now dimming horizon. "We need to get over there as fast as possible in order to provide support for Minato. You can travel far faster than I can, so we have to get moving!"

* * *

"Sorry Naruto, I didn't mean to wake you."

Minato wasn't sure what amazed him the most. The fact that Kushina was capable of making a joke at that moment or that Naruto had only just woken up despite all of the commotion that had just arrived at his location. Minato cradled the boy for a second, waving him gently in an unsuccessful attempt to sooth the child.

"I'm almost out of chakra," Kushina whispered, as the pain of the last two hours began to catch up with her. "I'll drag the Kyuubi back inside of me and die along with it. That will at least give you some time to prepare and I'll be able to save you both with the little chakra I have left. Minato, thankyou for everything you have done for me."

In spite of all that had happened over the last hour, those words hurt Minato more than anything else. Hearing his soul mate talk about ending her life while their child cried out in his arms was nothing short of heartbreaking. He just wanted to hold her, to tell her that it would all be all right and he would fix it. Except he couldn't, he had no way of fixing this the way he wanted. Sure, he had succeeded in saving the village but had failed his family. It made him wonder, as Hokage, a father and a husband, which was more important?

"Don't cry Minato" Kushina said with an unconvincing smile. He hadn't actually noticed the tears streaming down his face until she spoke, the inward manifestation of his emotions taking the focus of his concentration. "I'm happy. Happy that you loved me and that it's our sons birthday. When I think of the life we could have had, all I can think is that we'd be happy. My only regret is that I won't be able to see him grow up."

"_Maybe not" _Minato thought, as he looked down at the screaming child he still held tightly. _"I can't be a father on my own, can I? How well would I be able to raise him without Kushina by my side anyway? I'm sorry but without your mother, there's no much point for me to carry on either."_

"I'll seal your chakra inside of Naruto and then use the _Shiki Fujin _to seal the Kyuubi inside of Naruto" Minato said softly, trying to soften the blow of his crazy plan. Even as he spoke the words it sounded incomprehensible yet he knew that it made since. It was the least he could do for her and it also made sense in other levels.

"I can't let the Kyuubi come back without a Jinchuriki, it would upset the balance of power" Minato explained over Kushina's loud exceptions. "This is the only way I can create a new Jinchuriki and he will be the one to fight off the harbinger of disaster, that man with the mask. "

Minato began making seals, ready to commit himself to an eternity of hellish torture. However, before he could make the third seal a strong bound his hands.

"_Shit! I forgot to put up a barrier! Who has come now?"_

"Your decision made since in that context Minato, you are wise beyond your years" an elderly voice said, as the Third Hokage stepped forward. Minato realised that Enma was the one restraining him and he was the one who had allowed them to travel there so quickly. "However, that context has now changed. Save your wife Minato, be here to protect your family and our village. Let the feeble old men of this world be the ones to make the sacrifices."

To Minato's horror, Hiruzen made the seals for the Shiki Fujin. Although he couldn't see it, Minato knew what was happening at that moment. The Shinigami's arm had pressed through Hiruzen's stomach and had latched on to the Kyuubi. With a sickening cry, the Kyuubi was reduced to half of its size and a harsh, black seal was emblazoned on Hiruzen's stomach. The seal was set, the deed was done.

"Tell Asuma that I truly am sorry" Hiruzen whispered, before he fell backwards gracefully and landed on the ground. Stunned, Minato made no sudden movements once Enma let him go. For once, he was unsure how to proceed.

"Minato!" Kushina cried out, as he tightened the chains around the Kyuubi's now smaller form in order to stop if from escaping. Brought back to reality, Minato summoned a small ceremonial throne and placed Naruto inside of it.

"Not our son" Kushina squealed, as she realised what was about to occur. "If you have to re-seal it use me!"

"I can't do that, I need you to keep restraining him" Minato responded. "Besides, he won't have the same fearful childhood you had. You and I can make sure of that."

Minato then summoned a toad that was wrapped around a scroll. As the toad made exclamations about the situation he had been summoned to, Minato made quick work of sealing the beast inside his child. The key for the seal was placed on the scroll, which was then sent to Jiraiya. Finally, the Kyuubi was dragged inside of Naruto with the seal and was then tightened in place. Another horrible seal appeared on one of Minato's loved ones and just the sight of it on Naruto almost made him regret his decision immediately. However, he didn't have time to think about this as Kushina collapsed through exhaustion. Minato was quick to act and he rushed over to catch his wife before she hit the ground.

"Is it all over?" Kushina asked, her eyes closed. Minato placed Naruto in her arms and then picked both of them up. Knowing he didn't have enough chakra to teleport away, he began walking back to the village with his family in his arms. Behind him, he heard Enma pick up the body of the Third Hokage.

"You go on ahead of me" Minato shouted back. "The true hero of this sorry tale deserves to be the first back, he deserves the respect here."

"Of course" Enma responded, distinctly lacking his usual aggression. He simply skulked along in depression. Minato sighed as he walked ahead, not sure what to concentrate on out of all of the revelations that had presented themselves. However, there was one prevailing thought that underpinned them all:

"_No matter what the cost, no matter what the personal sacrifice. I will protect my village and I will protect my family!"_

**A/N: Sorry that most of this is what happens canonically, I wanted to get a bit of context for the diversion. Obviously everything changes beginning with the next chapter. **_  
_


	2. Aftermath

Chapter 2:

Kushina quivered in his arms, sending a cold chill up through his spine.

"_Its cold tonight, how did I not notice that?" _Minato thought, as he continued to march onwards through the forest. Naruto began whimpering quietly as his mother held him close, trying to transfer body heat to each other. Minato diverted his eyes away from the heartbreaking sight and turned to Enma, who was still walking just ahead of him.

"Will you go to the funeral?"

"The contract between a summon and summoner is broken upon death of either one" Enma grunted, without turning back. "Technically, I shouldn't even be here right now but I'll make an exception for Sarutobi. Before I go, I want to talk to Asuma. Is that all right, Minato?"

"Of course" Minato replied, as he listened out for the sound of Kushina's breathing. It had begun to slow down, it was clear that she needed medical treatment quickly. However, he had very little chakra left and was unable to perform _Hirashin_. It was difficult for him to even walk but he did his best to continue on.

After what felt like an eternity, the village finally came into view. Minato had been sure that, once he gazed upon the familiar and welcoming sight of his village he would be fine. However, the sight was not what he was expecting. He had seen that the village had been damaged by the attack but viewing it up close was a different experience entirely. The smell of burning filled his nostrils and the scattered bodies were no longer just various shapes on the ground; they were people he recognised. It wasn't just Shinobi either; he saw the owners of local restaurants and employees in the local stores. However, this is not what bothered him the most. Watching the reaction of those that had gathered on the edge of the village was almost too painful to watch. At first they appeared to be relieved as they noticed that he had survived, some of them even clapped. Then, they noticed Enma and the feeble old man curled up in his arms. The applause soon ended and the few cheers turned to screams of horror. Minato knew that they needed a leader at that moment, someone to take charge and fix everything. However, that would have to wait, he had one priority at that moment.

A man around Minato's age walked up to him, his face filled with concern. His usually tied back black hair had been pulled out of place and his clothes were ragged and torn. His physical state represented that of everyone who took part in the battle but Minato knew that his mind would still be in pristine condition.

"Minato, we-"

"Shikaku" Minato sighed, looking over at his long time friend. "Kushina needs medical treatment immediately and I will not abandon her, not again. The Kyuubi has been sealed and the village is not in any immediate danger. Whatever it is can wait, I have to do this first."

Whether he agreed or not, Shikaku was always one to respect authority. He politely stepped aside and allowed Minato to continue on, which also seemed to discourage others from approaching him. Finally, he reached what appeared to be the emergency medical centre, which had been set up with impressive speed and functionality. As soon as he entered, a nearby lady approached him. She was small, a good foot shorter than Minato was. Her youthful expression and dark purple hair was familiar and he recognised her as a member of the Yamanaka clan. Although, he didn't have time to confirm this.

"Lord Hokage!" she gasped, before turning her attention to the two people in his arms. "I see, quickly put her down over here."

This was one of the reasons why Minato held Medics in such high regard. They treated everyone the same, regardless of fame or rank. He couldn't think of any other situation in the Shinobi world where that would be the case.

"Lord Hokage, you'll have to take the child while I treat her" the medic said, as she picked up Naruto and handed him over. At the same time, Kushina pulled her arms in the same direction as if she was begging for her son to be returned to her arms.

"Naruto" she whispered, with her arms still outstretched. "Naruto-"

"It's okay" Minato said, kneeling down to his wife's level. "I've got him here, he's safe."

"Minato, you should take him home" Kushina said, while lightly stroking Minato's cheek. "It's cold tonight and this isn't a good environment for a new born."

"What about you?" Minato replied, the thought of leaving his wife alone repulsing him.

"What can you do for me now? You may be a lot of things Minato but a medic is not one of them" Kushina chuckled; breathing some much needed cheer to her face.

"Send word to me the second anything happens" Minato demanded of the medic, who gave a very quick response. He then turned to Kushina and lightly kissed her forehead. "I'll be back to check on you soon, no matter what you say."

"No surprises there then" she sighed, as Minato was ushered out the door so treatment could be administered. Before he could leave, Minato had one more question for the medic.

"Do you have any soldier pills with you? It would make things a lot easier."

"Well, of course" the medic replied, as if Minato had asked a stupid question. She gave Minato the small black pills before quickly returning to her duties. He quickly ate the pill and soon felt the wonderful feeling of chakra returning to his body.

"All right then Naruto, let's get you home."

Within a second he had done just that, using his _Hirashin_ to transport them to the apartment. It was a modest place, no bigger than a standard apartment. It only had two bedrooms, one bathroom and basic amenities. Memories of missions and days with friends adorned the cream walls, while rustic furniture filled the floor space. Minato had lived there ever since he had moved out of home and so far they hadn't bothered to move elsewhere. Of course, Kushina had been demanding that they find a bigger home once she found out she was pregnant but so far he had been able resist this. There was a cabin in the woods that they occasionally used but they both knew it wasn't a viable home even before it had been crushed by the rampaging fox. He felt a special attachment to this place and it wasn't something he was willing to let go easily.

Minato walked into the back bedroom, which had been left vacant until now. Inside, the walls were painted a tanned orange colour, at Kushina's insistence, and the room was filled with stuffed toys and draws filled with other items needed for a newborn. To the side, there was a hand crafted mahogany crib, a memento left behind by Kushina's parents. They had only placed the crib in the room the day before yet it seemed so long ago, back when everything was much simpler. He'd imagined that this was something he and Kushina would do together, putting their boy to bed for the first time. To his credit, Naruto seemed very relaxed and calm as he was placed onto the small mattress. As he did this, the blanket that had been covering him slipped a little and revealed the mark on his stomach. It was the first time Minato had seen the seal and he found himself dumbfounded by it. It was raised and harsh looking and when he ran his hand over it he could almost sense the Kyuubi inside. It was truly astounding that something so huge, something so dark could be sealed inside an innocent child. That was when it him.

"_What was I thinking?" _Minato thought, as he gazed down at his only son. _"How could I have done that to you, left you all alone in this world with such a thing? What kind of father am I?"_

His monologue was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Admittedly, it wasn't something that would usually put him on alert, after all a Shinobi wouldn't announce their interest in such a way. Yet, this didn't stop Minato from drawing a kunai and facing the door. He was just about ready to attack, when he recognised the boy that had walked in.

"Minato Sensei, thanks goodness. They wouldn't tell us what happened so I came here."

Minato felt further pangs of guilt as he looked upon his last living pupil. He had seen Kakashi Hatake grow from being a prodigy child into a young man that would make any father proud. However, he had also seen the pain that Kakashi carried with him every day. Growing up without a mother, finding his father's dead body in his own home, dealing with the death of his two closest friends on the battlefield, it was fair to say that he had not enjoyed the best life. Minato realised that he was probably the only thing Kakashi had left. What would he have done if his original plan had gone ahead? He quite clearly came here first, not learning about what happened on the way. Would he have sat alone in the apartment, waiting for someone who was never going to turn up? Then he would be delivered the heartbreaking news that his father figure is gone forever. This was yet another person's feelings he didn't take in consideration, with every passing second his willingness to die seemed more and more stupid

"I'll explain it all later Kakashi, it's been a rough night" Minato sighed, as he stroked Naruto's head. Kakashi walked over to the boy in the crib and appeared to smile at him, although it was difficult to tell with the mask he permanently attached to his face. However, this smile soon faded as he turned to Minato in horror.

"Wait, where's Kushina?"

If Minato was Kakashi's paternal figure, Kushina was definitely his maternal influence. Kakashi's father was her Sensei and after his unfortunate death, she felt some kind of responsibility towards him, especially as he was so young at the time. When he was younger, he would pretend that she was merely an unnecessary burden that was constantly getting in his way. Then, the incident with Obito happened and his general attitude changed forever. He even came over for dinner at least three times a week, when Kushina would spout of typical motherly phrases about him being too thin.

"She should be all right, she's being treated as we speak" Minato replied, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"Well, what happened?" Kakashi asked, pressing his Sensei for answers.

"They Kyuubi has been sealed in a new Jinchuriki, that's all you need to know for now" Minato responded, instinctively pulling more blankets over Naruto's stomach. He hadn't yet decided whether he would let everyone know about Naruto and he didn't want that decision taken out of his hands.

"Kakashi, I need you to stay here and look after Naruto for a while" Minato said, as he prepared to leave. "I need to brief the Jonin on what's going on and start organising things. I'll then check on Kushina and should be back in a little while."

"Wait, what?" Kakashi exclaimed, chasing Minato out of the door. "You want me to look after him? I don't know anything about kids!"

"You'll be fine, just keep an eye on him. If anything happens, contact me immediately. I've already put the seal on him, so don't worry."

With that, Minato rushed out the door and back on to the streets of Konoha. He paused for a second, wondering how he should proceed. He needed a way to contact all of the Jonin as quickly as possible, which was a particularly difficult thing to do at the best of times, never mind a situation like this where they were spread across the village. Fortunately, for possibly the first time that night, lady luck was finally smiling on him. A distressed looking blonde haired man was walking past just as Minato looked up.

"Inoichi!" Minato called out, startling his former classmate.

"Minato, there you are. There are a lot of people looking for you, what's going on?"

"That's actually what I need to talk to you about" Minato replied. "I need to talk to all of the Jonin at once, do you think you could contact them?"

"Well, once I get back to my house it should be easy enough. What did you want me to say exactly?"

Minato knew that he had got lucky once he found Inoichi. He was probably the most reliable of all the Shinobi in the village and he carried out any orders quickly and dutifully.

"Tell them all to meet me on top of my office in an hour's time. I can explain everything there."

Minato sat on the edge of the railing with his eyes closed, allowing his thoughts to race through his mind. He wasn't sure how he was going to approach this meeting; he just knew that he had to say something at least. It was his duty as leader of the village to take charge and that is exactly what he intended to do. Still, a conversation with Kushina would have been nice; she could always be counted on for moral support. However, he had already attempted to see her before coming here but had been told that she was resting. That was encouraging news at least, the longer she held on the stronger she would become.

"What is it?" Minato asked the ANBU that had just appeared behind him.

"Lord Danzo and the elders request your immediate presence at an emergency meeting " he said, trying to keep his tone as polite as possible.

"Does he now?" Minato replied, smiling as he did. "You can tell Danzo that I have other responsibilities to take care of first and then I'll think about attending his meeting."

"Well, Lord Danzo said that-"

"I don't care what he said," Minato snapped, his patience having been worn thin. "Despite what he may think, Danzo holds no power over me whatsoever. He is an advisor and nothing more; he would do well to remember that. You may take your leave now."

The ANBU was smart enough to know that was more of an order than a suggestion and quickly left. Over the next few minutes, the Jonin slowly gathered on the rooftop. Minato greeted each of them in turn, although most of the time it was through a simple nod of the head rather than any grand gesture. Some of them had a slight redness around their eyes and all seemed to be exhausted. Although, this gave Minato the chance to truly survey the damage of the attack. Although there were a few notable absentees, when taking into account the Shinobi out on missions and those he knew were in the hospital, it seemed that a large majority of the Jonin had survived.

"I know that you're all busy, so I'll keep this short" Minato began. "The Kyuubi has been sealed inside a new Jinchuriki, so there's no need to worry about it materialising here again. Secondly, any rumours you may have heard regarding the Third Hokage are true; he lost his life tonight while battling the fox. The circumstances will be kept confidential, I just want it to be known that we could not have won without his sacrifice."

"So that's all your going to tell us Minato? We're not even going to know who the Jinchuriki is? What gives you the right to withhold such information?"

Minato would have been able to guess the source of the disturbance even without hearing his voice. The sullen black haired man had been a pain in his side ever since he became Hokage and they had had their fair share of disagreements in the past. It was only the friendship between their wives that stopped them from coming to blows.

"Fugaku, with all due respect I have the right to withhold whatever information I see fit" Minato responded, which was met with a look of anger from the Uchiha clan leader. "Ever since the system was started by the First Hokage, the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi has always been kept confidential and for good reason. Even if you don't care for the privacy of the Jinchuriki, there's a practical consideration regarding information that can be given to other villages. The less people that know, the better. As for tonight, the focus is on treating the wounded and trying to clear up the mess that has been created. There will of course be a memorial service and you'll learn more information on that in due course. Are there any questions?"

Whether it was because they could sense how stressed and exhausted he was, or because they were stressed and exhausted themselves, no one made a response. With that he dismissed them but before he could leave, Minato called over one of the smaller Shinobi there.

"Asuma, how are you doing?"

Unlike his brother, Asuma Sarutobi didn't really resemble his father. His eyes were wide and a deep shade of hazel and he had a more stocky build than the Third. He also didn't seem to share his father's love of order; with his uniform often altered to reflect whatever fashion he was into that week. Oddly, he hadn't seemed to have made any alterations that night.

"Fine, all things considering. Enma had a talk with me, it's encouraging to know that he died a hero" Asuma replied, surprisingly calm despite what had happened.

"He did love you, you know."

Minato was well aware of the difficulties Asuma had with his father. He'd been a rebellious teenager, often disagreeing with the idea that Shinobi are merely tools and the amount personal sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the village. It caused a lot of friction between them and Asuma had threatened to leave the village on multiple occasions.

"Just not as much as the village I guess" Asuma sighed. "I know it's selfish, but I always wanted a father that would concentrate on me where I would be the priority. You have no idea what it's like to be second best to an entire village of people."

"I guess not" Minato replied. It was something he'd never considered, being the child to a leader. How does a parent balance two responsibilities?

"One thing that's come from this is that it's helped me make my mind up about a few things" Asuma said defiantly. "I'll probably have to talk to you about it again later. Thanks Minato Sensei."

Asuma gave a wave before running off, no doubt going to meet a certain Kunoichi from the Yuhi clan. Minato had certainly been given more food for thought than he had expected but for the first time that night things appeared to be going to plan. Unfortunately, there was still one last thing he had to do that could de-rail all of this progress, a meeting with the elders.

Minato hesitated before he opened the wooden door in front of him. This was the absolutely last thing he felt like doing. He had purposely took as long as possible to get to the meeting, taking a detour through the streets of Konoha and stopping to offer as many words of encouragement to as many people as possible. He had never liked these meetings; the elders had ideas above their station and tried their best to push these ideas on him.

"Come in Minato, we have been waiting a long time."

Danzo's voice was incredibly grating, Minato could practically picture his face screwed up in sadistic pleasure. He reluctantly opened the door and stepped into the room.

The three elder sat next to each other on a long table placed on the side of the room opposite to the door. It was a big space and Minato always felt that this was done on purpose, so that the large table would seem more intimidating. The elders themselves were stern faced and always looked like they disapproved. Minato didn't let their stares bother him; he simply took his place in the middle of the table without even offering an apology.

"We should get the basics out of the way then" Koharu said, adjusting the papers in front of her. "Tell us exactly what happened."

Minato gave in and outlined everything that had happened in detail. He knew that, if he didn't, the elders would hassle him and pry into his life until they did find out.

"So, you actually made your son the Jinchuriki?" Homura asked, his voice incredulous.

"There wasn't exactly much choice in the matter" Minato shot back, already irritated. "Hiruzen was only capable of sealing half of the fox's chakra and Kushina wouldn't be able to handle that chakra being sealed with her again. Naruto was the only choice, he has inherited her chakra and was the only one capable of handling it."

"We will have to keep a close eye on the boy as he grows up" Danzo mused, focusing his eye on Minato.

"You think I wouldn't do that anyway?" Minato challenged Danzo, standing up as he did so.

"Of course, but even you cannot watch him every second of the day" Danzo responded calmly. "It's imperative we protect the Jinchuriki, especially with a clan like the Uchiha in the village."

"What, you think they have something to do with this?"

"Of course I do Minato and you are a fool for thinking otherwise" Danzo shot back. "You said it yourself, the Sharingan is the only power capable of controlling the fox and there is a good chance that Madara Uchiha himself is the culprit. We need to keep a closer eye on them in the future."

"You disgust me," Minato rasped, as he stormed towards the door. "I'm tired of your conspiracy theories Danzo and I'm tired of your little habit of getting carried away with your role. I don't trust you at all and if I get even the slightest hint that Root is still operational, you'll be out."

"Yes, I have noticed that you've placed me under surveillance" Danzo stated, his mouth breaking into something resembling a smile. "The Hatake boy in particular is very impressive, almost on par with his father. You have nothing to fear though, I have followed your every order."

"We'll see" Minato said, as he opened the door to leave. "Oh yeah, I want you to contact the ANBU ad set up a division to track down Lady Tsunade, I feel that she'll want to come back to the village for the memorial. I need to go home to be with my son."

"Minato, stop fussing I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Wait, let me adjust that pillow."

"Stop it! I said I'm fine!"

"Hey, you didn't need to hit me in the head, I get the point."

Kushina had been moved to a private room in the hospital after waking up the day before. Physically, she was still struggling as the process of having the Kyuubi ripped from her had left her temporarily unable to move from the waist down. It was a strange sensation for her, due to the fox she was used to healing very quickly. As she often did, she took her frustration out on Minato who merely saw it as a cute personality quirk.

"Are you sure you're capable of looking after Naruto for a couple of hours?" Minato asked, unsure of the plan himself.

"Yes, I am capable of taking care of my own son" Kushina responded, as she stared down at the child that was asleep in the crib next to her. "You already have enough to do today and I don't trust Kakashi to watch him again, the boy can barely take care of himself!"

While that wasn't strictly true, Minato let it slide. Now that she has a child of her own, Minato trusted that she would stop babying Kakashi eventually; he was an ANBU squad leader after all. Still, he knew that she still saw him as that orphaned child she charged herself to look after and that it was something she was unwilling to give up.

"That reminds me, I'll have to stop off at the memorial stone before I go to the funeral" Minato commented. "He probably won't turn up otherwise."

"You better leave now then, dragging him away from that thing is easier said than done."

Minato agreed and gave Kushina a quick peck on the cheek before he left. On his way down to the funeral, he could feel a presence following him. This time, he was much more calm and able to focus on identifying just who it was.

"You know, I was trained by one of the Sannin, you'll have to do better than that," Minato yelled, out spinning around and startling the man following him. "Isn't that right, Jiraiya Sensei?"

Minato always thought that Jiraiya had an impressive aura about him and the past year certainly hadn't changed that. His hair had grown a little longer and now reached to about half way down his back. He sported a red jacket and had replaced his Konoha headband with the symbol of Mount Myoboku. Still, he had always remained loyal to the village, which was evidenced by his return.

"I was just checking, I wanted to make sure that the time behind a desk hadn't made you incompetent" Jiraiya joked, patting his student on the back.

"So, you got my message then?" Minato said, looking to bring the conversation to a more serious matter. He knew that Jiraiya could often get side tracked easily and that he had to maintain order.

"Yeah, I would have come back earlier but I had to get some more information from a contact" Jiraiya replied. "Turned out to be a dead end though, like so many before now."

"So, you haven't had much like finding Orochimaru then?" Minato asked, referring to the informal mission Jiraiya had been on.

"It's not so much about finding him as keeping an eye on what he's doing" Jiraiya responded. "Although, that's not been going that great either. Last I heard he was with a rogue ninja from Suna, although which rogue that is I don't know. Enough of that though, what's it like being a father?"

"Stressful so far, Naruto can be quite the handful" Minato chuckled. "It has been a little difficult the past few days though, trying to organise everything while looking after him. I've had to rope in almost everyone I know to babysit at some stage, it's just been a stage of coping so far."

"Well, that's what life often is" Jiraiya began. "You've been through war Minato, you're used to just surviving day by day. I'm sure that, with Kushina by your side, you'll be an excellent father."

Even though he was renowned as a pervert and a joker, Jiraiya had always given Minato advice such as this and it was comforting to have someone he could rely on like this.

"Especially if we get some help from his godfather from time to time" Minato laughed.

"Call me when he's a teenager, so I can teach about the things that matter" Jiraiya hit back, generally lightening the mood. The next few minutes was filled with such talk, as master and student caught up after almost a year without contact. They then went to pick up Kakashi, who was predictably unwilling to leave.

When he reached the area for the service, Minato couldn't help but be impressed by what he saw. Pictures of all who had died were placed in front of coffins, containing the bodies of those that had perished. The flowers were arranged both in front and around the coffins, creating a beautiful sight. The entirety of Konoha had turned out clad in black, even Asuma had made an effort to conform.

The memorial service itself went far better than expected. Predictably, the concentration was on the Third Hokage and he was the focus of much of the day. Minato started the service by explaining how important it is to remember those that had died and how their sacrifice would not be in vain. Asuma gave a surprisingly tearful and heartfelt goodbye to his late father, before giving one last rebellious moment by declaring his intention to join the Guardian Shinobi 12. Jiraiya also gave an impromptu speech and spent the time telling funny stories and reminiscing about his time as a part of Team Sarutobi.

What was supposed to be a sad day ended up turning into a day of laughter and memories. Minato supposed that this was more fitting really. The Third was a man full of life and love; he wouldn't have wanted those he considered family to be sad at his passing. He wanted them to grow and go in to the future with their heads held high and Minato knew that it was now his job to do just that.


	3. 3 Years Later

Chapter 3: 3 years later

"Naruto!"

There was an enormous crash and the sound of breaking glass echoed across the house. A small blonde boy skidded across the room, a bar of chocolate in his hand and a mischievous grin plastered across his face. He wore an orange t-shirt with a red whirlpool affixed to the front and a pair of small blue shorts, which complemented his dazzling bright blue eyes. Hearing his mother close behind him, he made a dash for the door. Freedom was in sight; he extended his arm and grabbed hold of the handle. All he had to do was twist it and then-

"And where do you think you're going?"

Before he knew it, Naruto was lifted off the ground and held in the arms of his father, who was already dressed in his Konoha Shinobi fatigues. Naruto crossed his arms and pouted, looking at the ground below.

"Every time" he moaned, exaggerating his expression and making a point of not looking up. "I always get so close and you just turn up out of nowhere."

"Well, I wouldn't be much of a Dad if I didn't, would I?" Minato replied, lightly patting the head of his son, who didn't seem too eager to respond. "Oh come on, I've been away for a week and this is all I get?"

Naruto didn't react for a couple of seconds, still keeping up his act. Then, his cheeky smile returned and gave his father a hug, laughing as he did so.

"What did you get me?" he quickly asked, as he started looking through the top pockets on Minato's jacket.

Just as Minato moved to reach into his back pocket, where a small model of a toad was hidden, a small cough came from the opposite side of the hallway. Kushina stood there, shooting her husband a disapproving look. Realising his mistake, Minato withdrew his hand and put on his best fatherly face.

"Now Naruto, you know that you can't have sweets before breakfast" Minato said, taking the chocolate bar from his sons grasp. "Now, if you eat your breakfast and behave for the rest of the day I'll give you your present tomorrow morning."

This was apparently an unacceptable compromise as Naruto returned to sulking. Knowing that he would give up after a few minutes, Minato simply carried him back towards the dining room and sat him down at the table. He went to join Kushina in the kitchen but quickly thought better of it. Knowing it was best not to leave him alone, Minato made signs and placed his hand on the table.

"Now, Gamaki here will keep an eye on you so don't try running off again" Minato warned, as the small yellow toad took a place just in front of the boy. Naruto continued acting as if he hadn't even noticed, although his not so subtle glances at the toad betrayed him.

"He has the same face as you when you get angry" Minato joked, as he joined his wife at the counter as she continued making breakfast.

"Minato, something happened while you were away" Kushina suddenly announced, her voice tinged with nerves.

"With Naruto? What was it, is he all right?" Minato asked, with all sorts of horrible scenario's running through his mind.

"Yes, he seems fine for now" Kushina began, as she twirled her hair around her finger. It was a nervous habit that she seemed to have picked up over the last couple of years and it was a sign for Minato that this was really serious. "A couple of days after you left, we were playing in the garden. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just those little play fights you normally have with him. After a while, he got a little too enthusiastic so I told him it's time to stop. He got a little frustrated and started crying."

"Well, that's a little unusual but nothing too bad" Minato commented. "He has done that with me a couple of times."

"I know but this was different" Kushina continued. "He was completely hysterical, the way he was crying was unnatural. I tried to calm him down the best I could but he didn't pay any attention to me. He started crying harder and harder and I noticed the whiskers on his face were raised and there was a slight red tinge to his eyes. It was terrifying Minato, I had no idea what was happening. That was when I noticed it, the bottom of his t-shirt was lifted up and I could see the seal on his stomach, clear as day. So I grabbed one of those seals that Jiraiya gave us a couple of years ago and it seemed to work, he returned to normal and fell asleep."

"Those seals are designed to suppress powerful chakra, made specifically for Jinchuriki" Minato commented, sounding incredibly concerned. "If that worked and if the seal appeared, that must mean that some of the chakra of the Kyuubi must have been leaking through."

"How is that possible?" Kushina asked, looking on Minato for answers.

"_I'm not sure," _Minato thought. _"Could the seal actually be weakening? If so, why did it occur at that moment? What can I do to counter this?"_

This inner monologue was interrupted by a distinctive knock on the door. There was an immediate reaction in the dining room, as Naruto knocked the toad out of the way and ran towards the door.

"I know who this is!" he yelled, as he turned the handle and opened the door. "Kashi!"

The masked Shinobi initially seemed displeased with this but soon smiled at the child's naivety.

"You know Naruto, one day I'll make sure you can say my name properly" Kakashi chuckled, as Naruto practically jumped into his arms. "You need to speak properly if you want to be Hokage like your Dad."

Naruto made an exaggerated grimace and stuck his tongue out at the suggestion.

"I don't wanna be Hokage," he said. "Too boring, all Daddy does is paperwork."

"Doesn't complain about paperwork when I use the money to buy him toys" Minato laughed, as he walked over to greet his student. "Naruto, what did I say about staying at the table?"

"I know" Naruto sighed, as he dropped back to the floor and walked to the dining room in a sulk. Minato gave a wry smile before turning back to Kakashi.

"You're here earlier than I expected, which is very unlike you. What happened with the genin team then?" Minato asked, fearing the answer.

"Waste of time" Kakashi replied, as he walked further into the house and to the dining room. "They just didn't get it at all, absolutely no team work they all just wanted to go for the bell on their own."

"Sounds exactly the same as your team when you took that test" Minato pointed out. "You only really got the teamwork aspect after I suggested it to you, don't be so harsh in the future."

"Maybe" Kakashi said, clearly not all that convinced by his Sensei's words. "Even so, they were more than hopeless, I have no idea how they got out of the academy. Even if they worked as a team, they had no chance of getting the bells."

"Typical Kakashi, forgetting that everyone else isn't a child prodigy like him" Kushina teased as she walked in to the room with two plates of breakfast. "I bet you sit around wondering why everyone else can't use at least 400 jutsu don't you?"

"Sure do" Kakashi replied cheerily, as he looked down at the food he was just given. "Kushina, I just ate."

"So? You can always eat some more. You don't eat enough Kakashi" Kushina declared, as she gave Naruto a smaller bowl of cereal. "You don't need to worry about your mask either, we've all seen your face here."

Giving up, Kakashi pulled down his mask and began to eat. As was usual whenever he was around, Naruto spent most of his time trying to see what was underneath Kakashi's headband. Kakashi would tease him by slightly lifting it every so often, before quickly putting it back down before he could see.

"So what time are we leaving then?" Kakashi asked between mouthfuls.

"Within the hour, we already have everything packed we just have to wait for the ANBU guard to get here" Minato replied. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure if I would be back in time so we had to push our departure back a little. Luckily I was able to get through everything quickly."

The next hour was spent talking about Minato's time away and Kakashi's experience of being a regular Jonin again after he quit the ANBU. Finally, after Naruto had gathered every toy he owned because it was absolutely necessary to bring them, the guard arrived and they left the house. As they walked towards the village gate, Kushina spotted someone she knew in the crowd.

"Hey, Mikoto!" she called out, catching the attention of the black haired woman talking to her child.

"Oh, Hi Kushina" she replied, looking slightly flustered. "You leaving already huh? Wish I could say the same; we still have a lot to do. Fugaku has been in Suna the entire time, so I've been left with his duties while he's been away."

"Sounds tough especially with a clan as big as yours" Kushina sympathised. "Still, it will all be worth it to see your son become a Chunin."

"What! Sasuke isn't becoming a Chunin is he?" Naruto yelled, barging in on the conversation. "But Dad says we can't enter the academy at our age!"

"She means my brother, stupid!"

The boy next to Mikoto was the same size as Naruto and roughly the same age. His black hair was spiked and messy and he wore a high collar blue shirt with his clan's symbol emblazoned on the back.

"Sasuke, don't be so rude" Mikoto said, giving him a scolding look. "Anyway, we best get going hopefully we'll get there the night before it all starts."

"We'll see you there then" Kushina replied, as the two walked away from each other.

* * *

"Kashi, are we there yet?"

"Yes Naruto, we're finally here."

The three-day journey to Suna had been mercifully uneventful, with the only difficulties being Naruto's almost constant complaints that he was tired despite the fact that he was always on someone's back and his questioning of how far they had to go. They'd picked a good time of year to travel, so they had also avoided the difficulties associated with the weather that could sometimes plague the route between the villages.

"Oh wow" Kushina gasped, as she gazed upon the entrance to Suna for the first time in her life. "That's amazing."

The entrance to Suna was rather unique. The village was completely surrounded by a giant wall of rock and sand, with only a small gap in the middle of the wall that acted as the entrance to the village. The walls themselves had several layers which stretched all the way around and when there was an important event ANBU were stationed there. It made for an impressive and terrifying sight and let any visitors know that, despite what rumours may say, this village did have considerable military might.

A brown haired man with a cloak similar to Minato's stood waiting at the entrance flanked by 7 others of varying ages that made up the council of Suna. He walked over to Minato with his arm outstretched and an obviously forced smile across his face.

"Welcome Lord Hokage" he said, as he gave the shortest of handshakes. "It's an honour that you could make it and for us to enjoy these exams."

"No, the honour is all mine" Minato replied, giving the standard answer one must give at these highly formal meetings. They then spent the next five monotonous minutes making various introductions between everyone gathered, with Naruto rather hilariously changing his name every time he met a different person. With the formalities done, they were invited inside the village. To the Konoha parties' dismay, it turned out that there was no real shade from the relentless heat of the sun as they walked through the streets of the village. Finally, they reached the Kazekage's office, which meant that everyone apart from Minato could go to their lodgings. However, Naruto had other ideas.

"Daddy, Daddy" Naruto said, while he pulled at the bottom of Minato's robe. "Can I go and play in there?"

As soon as Minato had spotted the park situated next to the office, he knew that Naruto would want to go in there. The child seemed to have an obsession with the place, visiting the park in Konoha at least once a day.

"Kakashi-"

"No way" Kakashi declared, cutting off his teacher.

"Oh please Kakashi" Kushina pleaded. "If you don't I'll have to and I really need to get some sleep."

Predictably, Kushina's guilt trip worked and Kakashi found himself sitting on a park bench as Naruto showed off to every child present. Sometimes, he wished that he'd stayed with the ANBU.

* * *

The first thing that Minato noticed about the Kazekage's office was that there was nothing to notice. His own office was filled with memento's and family pictures, with a smattering of brightly coloured scrolls about the place. In contrast, this office was very bland and the best that could be said about it was that it was very organised.

"So, the Raikage isn't here yet?" Minato asked, having prepared himself for a meeting with the man during his travels.

"He won't be arriving until tomorrow" the Kazekage responded, as he took a seat behind his desk. "He wasn't intending on coming until he heard that a Konoha shinobi had made the finals and that you were personally attending."

Minato sighed heavily after he heard this information. The current Raikage, A, seemed to be in constant competition with him and he was not the most rational of men. A battle from years ago appeared to be the catalyst for A's obsession with him even though Minato barely remembered the fight itself apart from seeing the tentacle of the Hachibi. However, he put that issue to the back of his mind and focused on something rather more important.

"Have you looked over the terms of the agreement?" Minato enquired.

"I have and I still have some issues with it" was the response. "The exchange of information is still far too broad and I am most certainly not willing to reveal our training techniques. We may be looking to sign a peace treaty but we all know that in this world they tend to be worth less than the scrolls they are written on."

Minato had been afraid of this. Despite his attempts to create peace treaties and to collaborate in the face of what he felt was impending danger from the man he feared was Madara Uchiha, the fact was that none of the villages seemed willing to sign treaties due to the possibility that it would leave them vulnerable through deception.

"Well, I suppose that you should make your amendments for us to review then" Minato said, although he knew that it was pointless. He may be desperate to establish peace but he would never agree to the ludicrous demands that Suna had made in the past.

"So, how are you kids?" Minato asked, looking to change the subject.

"What are you trying to insinuate?" the Kazekage demanded to know, suspicious at where this was headed.

"Nothing, I'm just genuinely interested" Minato responded innocently. "You're the only Kage other than myself that has young children, how do they cope with it?"

"My children are upstanding members of this village," the Kazekage declared, with a small amount of pride in his voice. "Kankuro has already began learning the art of puppetry and Temari is showing a lot of promise."

Minato was sure that the Kazekage had three children but he decided not to look into it any further. He wandered over to the window to check on how Naruto was doing. The Kazekage did the same and then turned to make a comment to Minato. However, before he could even open his mouth his face turned white.

"No" he said, as he turned towards the door. "Your son is in danger, we must get down there now!"

If there was one thing that Naruto was good at, it was making friends with everyone he meets. Kushina called it his "special gift" and Naruto was relishing using it in a new village. Within a few minutes, all the kids around him were laughing at his jokes and cheering him on as he attempted the stunts he tried to copy from his Dad. However, it was late in the day and soon enough everyone started going home. As the kids filtered out, he noticed one more boy in the corner of his eye sat on the swing. He wore an oversized brown robe and a very sad expression on his face. Naruto walked over and noticed that the boy was clutching a very old and dirty teddy bear.

"Hey, what's his name?" Naruto wondered, as he examined the bear closer.

"I don't know" the boy whispered, avoiding eye contact and pulling the bear closer to his body.

"Well, what's your name?"

"I'm Gaara" came another timid response.

"Gaara? That's a strange name," Naruto said, eyeing up Gaara suspiciously. "But, my Mum says that you don't judge people before you get to know them and my Dad says that you should always shake someone's hand when you meet them so."

Naruto held his hand out and this time it was Gaara that eyed him suspiciously. Unsure of himself, he mimicked Naruto's movement and attempted to touch the offered hand. However, before he could a small wave of sand seemingly came out of nowhere and knocked Naruto's hand away. This seemed to thoroughly depress Gaara but Naruto thought that it was the coolest thing he had ever seen.

"Wow, this is fun" Naruto said, as he tried his best to get past the sand. "Hey will you teach me how to do this?"

Gaara didn't respond, he just sat there smiling at the boy in front of him. Although, this smile soon turned to the most miserable frown as his father and Minato suddenly appeared before them. Minato looked incredibly confused but the Kazekage was enraged.

"Gaara!" he screeched, as the youngster scrambled from his seat and away from his father. "What have I told you about approaching people like that! Do you want to kill everyone in this village? Get out of my sight!"

Gaara quickly sulked off, wiping tears from his eyes as he went. Minato knew that the sensible thing would be to walk away, act as if that hadn't happened. Except, he knew that he couldn't do that; the guilt would eat away at him.

"Kakashi, take Naruto" he ordered and wasn't met with any resistance. It was obvious why Minato wanted his son out of earshot.

"Even if he is the Jinchuriki of the Shukaku, that is no way to treat a child, especially your son."

"You have no right" the Kazekage spat, glaring back at Minato. "You have no right to question me or my methods. He has to learn to control it, so far he's been nothing but a failure."

"What, so you think that isolating him is going to help?" Minato yelled, walking over to the Kazekage. "You really think that putting him down and making him miserable will make him more able to control a beast infamous for feeding on negative emotions? How big of an idiot are you?"

"What do you know about it?" he snarled, getting close up to Minato's face. "What do you know about having to train your own child to control a Bijuu?"

"I know exactly as much as you!" Minato shot back, without even thinking. "I know what it's like to look at your own child and see a demon. I know the intense feelings of guilt that threaten to engulf you. You know what I don't know? I don't know what it's like to look upon your child and see misery staring back. That's because he's my son first and a Jinchuriki second and that's how it must always be."

A silence followed the end of Minato's passionate speech, as both comprehended what was just said.

"So, your son holds the Kyuubi?" the Kazekage said. "I have to admit, I would never have suspected him. How do you do it? How does he keep everything in control so easily?"

The conversation had begun to enter territory Minato wasn't comfortable with but he also knew that he couldn't turn back now.

"Well, I think it's threefold" Minato began. "Firstly, he inherited strong chakra from his mother which helps to suppress the beast. Secondly, his seal his strong but has enough leeway so that he can use that chakra in the future. That is the third point, in the future. He is much too young to go through that now, his life is going to be difficult enough the least I can do is give him a childhood. The first point is something you can't replicate and I can help you with the second if you like. The third is down to you."

In al honesty, Minato hadn't expected much from that given how stoic the Kazekage usually is. However, that very same man fell apart right before his eyes. They spoke for close to an hour about all manner of subjects relating to their children and by the end an agreement was in place. Minato would perfect Gaara's seal and the Kazekage would at least try to treat him like his son.

* * *

It was dark by the time Minato reached the apartment on the outskirts on the village. The time taken to apply the new seal to Gaara was longer than he had anticipated and he had to get his lodgings before Naruto was put to bed. He just hoped that this wouldn't cause an issue and that the people he wanted to meet would still be awake.

"Ah Minato" the man said as he opened the door. "I was worried you weren't going to show up."

"My apologies Fugaku" Minato replied, as he stepped inside to the rather cramped accommodation. "My meeting with the Kazekage was more complicated than I had planned."

"Well, that's a difficulty experienced in all villages" Fugaku sneered, not trying to be subtle. "You yourself can be an enigma at times, you preach inclusion yet your latest act has pushed us further away than ever."

"I'm not following" Minato admitted, while racking his brain and trying to figure out how he had offended the Uchiha this time.

"Your order that internal affairs can no longer be investigated by the police was very insulting" Fugaku growled, as he clenched his fist.

"What? I never-"

"Hey, what's going on?"

A young boy stepped out of the hallway carrying a battered old book in his hand. He looked very similar to his father, except his hair was a slightly lighter shade of black. Like all in the Uchiha clan, the clan symbol was attached to the back of his black shirt.

"Nothing Itachi, we were just discussing something" Fugaku reassured his son. "The Hokage has come to see you, it's tradition for the village leader to wish his candidates good luck the night before the final exam."

As Minato spoke to Itachi, the main thing that struck him was how calm the young Uchiha was. The night before his own exam, Minato stayed up half the night pestering Jiraiya into helping him practice his jutsu. However, Itachi didn't seem concerned in the slightest.

"So, what's with the children's book?" Minato asked, recognising the title as one he had read to Naruto once.

"Oh, I was reading it to Sasuke it's the only way he sleeps" Itachi chuckled. "He's heard the same story every night yet he still insists on it."

The brotherly bond between Itachi and Sasuke was one of the main reasons why Kushina had been trying to convince Minato to have another child. However, with all he had to do he knew there was no way they could make it work. Still, he could see the benefits when he heard the caring way that Itachi spoke about his younger brother.

"Well, I'll let you get some rest for your big day tomorrow" Minato said, as he stood up. "Just know that you have the whole of Konoha will be cheering you on."

* * *

"Minato, I'm happy to see you."

One of the first things people noticed about A was that he was incredibly tall, towering over the average Shinobi. That combined with his hulking physique created a rather intimidating man. He did his best to put this to use when greeting Minato, trying his best to crush his hand when they shook. To his credit, the Hokage didn't even flinch.

"It's been a while A and congratulations on your promotion" Minato said.

"Yes, I'll take up the mantle my father left for me and make Kumogakure the strongest village in the five great nations" he declared. "For now however, I'll be happy with simply watching the two Genin we have in the finals wipe the floor with your lot."

Minato and the Kazekage exchanged glances but decided it was best not to answer back to that. A was notorious for his quick temper and the last thing they needed was for an argument between Kage's to be played out in front of everyone gathered. Instead, they simply turned their attention to the tournament at hand.

The giant stadium erupted in cheers when the four Genin walked out. There was two Genin from Kumo, one from Suna and Itachi from Konoha. The first battle was between Itachi and the Suna Shinobi. Suffice it to say, Itachi's victory was incredibly easy. The difference in skill was incredibly noticeable; the poor child from Suna just did not have an answer to anything Itachi could throw at him. The Kazekage muttered several words of annoyance, while A simply laughed out loud.

"I'd be embarrassed if someone from my village performed like that," he bellowed. "Now, my Genin are up next and they'll show you how it's done."

The second battle was much closer in terms of skill. As expected of Kumo Shinobi, their taijutsu was top class. Surprisingly, the winner seemed to win using a well-executed genjutsu. A was unsurprisingly smug with this but Minato was still confident in Itachi. A Shinobi relying on genjutsu would be in trouble against an Uchiha.

"Now then Minato, how about we make a little bet on the outcome of this match?" A suggested.

"Oh no" Minato quickly replied, knowing that A was a sore loser. "I wouldn't want to take your money like that."

Before A could give a response, the two Shinobi walked out and prepared for battle. Itachi kept his calm composure, while his blonde haired opponent had a cocky grin spread across his face.

"The fight between Itachi Uchiha of Konoha and C of Kumo will now begin."

The pair wasted no time in starting the battle, C drawing a katana from his back and launching his attack. Itachi responded by taking a kunai from his pouch and fending off the assault. Using just one hand compared to his opponents two, Itachi was clearly on top and had C on the ropes.

"Kenjutsu was never really C's strong suit" A grumbled, as he kept his eyes firmly on the battle. "However, just wait until the ninjutsu begins you'll be impressed."

As if he heard A's words, C jumped back and quickly formed hand signs. Itachi responded by doing the same thing, although his signs were made at a much quicker rate.

"Such speed" the Kazekage gasped. "That would be impressive even for a Chunin."

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!_"

A great fireball was expelled from Itachi's mouth and flew over towards C. The blonde Kumo Shinobi quickly jumped out of the way but the size of the attack was bigger than he had anticipated and his leg was caught.

"Come on, stop messing around" A muttered, as he clenched his fist tightly. "Finish it C!"

Itachi stood and watched his opponent coolly, looking to figure out his next move. In contrast, C was livid and gasping for air.

"I'll admit, you're good" he spat, as he made seals once again. "However, let's see you fight against this!"

Ludicrously, C disappeared right before Itachi's eyes and he found that he was unable to even move his head.

"A paralysis genjutsu?" Itachi wondered, as he closed his eyes. "That's rather impressive, I didn't think I'd have to use this here."

"Ah yes, your boy may be good Minato but he cannot escape this illusion" A boasted as he watched the action unfold. However, a second later his face dropped. Just as C moved towards Itachi to strike the final blow, he stopped in his tracks. After that, Itachi simply struck him instead and he fell to the ground unconscious.

"How did that happen?"

"He saw through the genjutsu and reflected it back" Minato explained, also amazed by what he had just seen. "It may have been a powerful genjutsu but not good enough that it can't be seen through by the Sharingan."

"The Sharingan? That boy has unlocked it already?" A enquired. "Of course, the dojutsu of Konoha, I should have known. It's unfair that this power should only reside in your village; it infuriates me. Well know this Minato, this does not mean that you are better than me."

With that, A dramatically stood up and walked away from the area without so much as a goodbye. Minato could merely sigh and shake his head. It was becoming clear that the problems both within and outside of his village were only going to get much more complicated.


	4. Growing Threat

Chapter 4: Growing Threat

"Mom! Dad! It's time to get up! Guess what day it is!"

Minato groaned as he slowly opened his eyes due to the racket he heard just outside his bedroom. To his annoyance, he found that it was still dark meaning that it was very early in the morning. He rolled over and placed the pillow over his head, hoping that his son would eventually give up and go back to bed.

"He's not going to stop" Kushina whispered. "He's probably the most persistent child I've ever seen and the fact that it's his birthday will only spur him on."

"I already knew this was going to be a long day but this is ridiculous," Minato moaned, as he rolled himself out of bed and walked over to the door. He had planned on reprimanding his son, telling him that he can't just demand that his parents wake up at such an unreasonable hour. However, once he opened the door and saw Naruto's beaming face he knew that it was useless, how could he say no to that? Kushina seemed to have realised this too, as she was already behind her husband.

"Well, I suppose we should go see if you have any presents waiting for you" Kushina said excitedly, which brought a giddy reaction from her son. She then chuckled, both at Naruto and her husband who was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Don't worry, it's not like you've got anything too stressful to do today anyway, it's just a birthday party."

She then kissed him on the cheek and walked Naruto into the living room where a frankly ridiculous number of presents awaited him. Minato yawned again and ruefully looked back towards his bed. No matter what Kushina said, he knew that the upcoming day would still be stressful.

* * *

Why do children always have to scream? That's what Minato was asking himself as Naruto's party got into full swing and a countless number of children ran around his house and garden making a racket. He'd bravely decided that Kushina could deal with the children's activities while he made the food and made sure to take his time preparing everything.

"Hey! That's not fair! You're cheating!"

Even without hearing his voice, Minato would have easily guessed that Naruto would be the one shouting above everyone else. The fact that he was accusing somebody else of cheating, combined with his tone of voice, gave him a pretty good idea of who he was shouting at.

"Hey, shut up! Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean I'll just let you win!"

Minato actually laughed as he heard them bickering. He wasn't sure where this little rivalry between his son and Fugaku's had started, maybe they both watched their father's clashing heads too often? Whatever the reason, Minato actually found comfort in the fact that there was at least one child willing to disagree with his son, all of the other children seemed too willing to do as he says just because he's the Hokage's child. He knew full well that most of them weren't really his friends but he would let Naruto figure that out on his own, it's all a part of growing up.

"Minato, can I have a word?"

Fugaku stepped into the kitchen with a sullen expression on his face. It seemed that nothing, not even the simple joy of a child's birthday party, could cheer him up.

"What would this be regarding?" Minato replied, keeping the meeting as formal as he could in the circumstances.

"You know full well," Fugaku growled, his Sharingan flashing briefly before retracting.

"Fugaku, I do not like repeating myself" Minato sighed. "I understand the historical significance of your clan, believe me I do, however that does not mean that I should be forced to give more powers to you. While the Uchiha and the Senju may have been the founders of the village, there are so many clans here now that we cannot prioritise any. How do you think the Hyuga would react to hearing that the Uchiha have been given a role in governing the village? It cannot work I have explained this already."

"This is ridiculous!" Fugaku said. "Why is it that the systems of this village are always used against us? The lineage of the Hokage has avoided us for four generations now and it is beyond frustrating! Maybe Madara had it right all that time ago."

"Madara Uchiha was a warmongering fool and nothing more" Minato replied quickly. "Your clan was right to turn your back on him and his ideals. Also, I believe that your view is flawed. Rather than looking to work against you, the system is put in place for the benefit of everyone. The title of Hokage goes to the most deserving and if one of the Uchiha proves themselves, then they will achieve it and the same goes to every other clan."

"That's why the position has stayed with the Senju then is it?"

"While that may have been true for the previous generations, I am not of the Senju clan as many have suggested" Minato responded.

"All this lies, you are trying to drive us out" Fugaku spat. "You speak well Minato yet you cannot cover up the facts. You are trying to limit the police force and you have driven our clan to the outskirts of the village."

"You made that move of your own free will" Minato said, becoming frustrated by the constant questioning.

"We were forced into it, being constantly tracked by ANBU means that you need your allies closer" Fugaku shot back, getting in Minato's face.

"That's your own paranoia talking, I have never ordered ANBU to follow you or anyone else in your clan" Minato said.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Excuse me Minato? You have a visitor."

Kushina stood at the door with her arms folded and a concerned expression on her face. Minato knew what she was thinking, if she hadn't turned up at that moment how far would the argument have escalated?

"My apologies Lord Hokage for interrupting you today but I was unsure whether you wanted to delay today's meeting or not."

Even though it was impossible to see the person's face under their ANBU mask, the distinctive hair and voice let Minato knew who he was looking at.

"It's fine, I had meant to delay our weekly meeting until tomorrow but now that you're here, we may as well go to my home office."

Minato led the masked ANBU through the house and noted the long and lingering look that Fugaku gave him. In contrast, Kushina appeared to be slightly concerned yet annoyed somehow which is something only she could pull off.

Minato's home office was actually rather similar to his main office with the only difference being that it was slightly smaller and even messier. He spent most of his time in there studying seals and jutsu with the consequence being that he had open scrolls all over the place. Knowing that Kushina would only allow him to be away for the party for only a few minutes, he didn't even bother trying to tidy up a little.

"We may not be in my office but this is still an official meeting, so the same rules still apply Shisui."

"Oh right of course, please forgive me."

Shisui slowly slid the mask of his face and revealed himself to Minato. Like many Uchiha who had fully mastered it, Shisui often had his Sharingan active and usually kept it that way for long periods of time. However, unlike the majority of Uchiha, Shisui's hair was short and spiked up as opposed to the more usual longer hair that his fellow clansmen sported. He really did stand out amongst his brethren, which was one of the reasons that Minato had promoted him to the ANBU and gave him some of the more important missions.

"So, has Danzo been doing anything substantial this week?" Minato asked, looking to get straight to the point.

"Nothing out of the ordinary as far as I can tell" Shisui replied. "He's very careful though, it seems as if he exaggerates his movements and often he turns around to face my direction when he speaks."

"He used to do the same thing with Kakashi, which means that he's probably noticed your surveillance" Minato said. "Still, that's not necessarily a bad thing. If he knows he's being followed, then he can't do anything unsavoury, which means that I have less to worry about. Keep up the good work Shisui!"

Shisui merely gave a faint smile before reaching for his mask again. This was the reason that Minato insisted on the rule; it was far easier to read people by looking at their face rather than listening to their voice.

"What's wrong Shisui? You don't seem like yourself, is it about what happened in the Grass Country? If you need more time off I completely understand."

Minato was referring to an event that happened only a couple of months before where Shisui's team was ambushed and he was the only one to make it back alive. What made it worse was that his two teammates were both childhood friends and Shisui saw the whole thing. He'd never really expressed his emotions or asked for much time off for it and Minato figured that the emotional strain of keeping it all in may finally be getting to him.

"No, it's nothing like that" Shisui said. "Just a few clan issues that's all, I never imagined the amount of pressure I'd have being in the ANBU."

"Fugaku does seem to have high expectations" Minato commented, but judging by Shisui's reaction he knew that wasn't the type of pressure he was talking about. Not wanting to push him any further for now, Minato looked to change the subject.

"Say, what are your opinions on Itachi Uchiha? After the events of a couple of months ago and Kakashi stepping down recently, I need to make a couple of promotions and I've been eyeing him closely."

As expected, the mention of Itachi brought a small smile to the young Uchiha's face.

"He's a good kid with a very good head, despite his age he has priorities sorted" Shisui replied. "You obviously know about his talents, his mastery of the Sharingan is definitely above what I could do at his age and even among our clan he is unrivalled in genjutsu."

"Sounds like ANBU material then."

"Maybe" Shisui said cautiously. "However, I would wait a little before promoting him, let him enjoy his childhood a little more before putting him through such rigours."

Minato understood Shisui's concern; after all he had been in the same position as Itachi not so long ago so he understood the stress.

"I'll take it into consideration" Minato noted, as he got up from the desk he had been leaning against. "Now, I best get back to this party or Kushina could very well kill the both of us."

"Of course, I'll get back to my duties" Shisui said, as he put his mask on and made a seal. "I'll see you this time next week."

With that, Shisui disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Minato alone to ponder what he had heard. Before he could even begin to decide how to act upon the information, Kushina burst in.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "You're being summoned outside, Naruto wants to blow out his birthday candles and is insisting that you light them."

"Of course he is" Minato chuckled, as he walked over to the door. "Can't forget my duties now can I?"

* * *

Minato was up before first light for the second morning in a row, although this time he was far more alert. He'd received an urgent notice from the Cypher Corps that an important message had just arrived and they were struggling to even open it. It was an annoying interruption to his much-needed sleep but he had to admit that he was intrigued.

The Cypher Corps room was one of Minato's favourite in the entire village. The actual room itself didn't seem very exciting; it was slightly cramped with one large table in the middle and a bunch of scrolls on shelves all around the room. It may seem nerdy to some but all of the different seals scattered about the place is what fascinated him so much.

"This is it," a blonde haired woman declared, as she carried a brown scroll over to the table. "It's completely unlike anything we have ever seen before, the formulae reads like gibberish frankly."

Minato's interest piqued once he laid eyes on the seal. It was not because he couldn't understand it, in fact he recognised it straight away.

"It's from Kumogakure" Minato declared. "It's quite a complex seal, very few Shinobi outside of that village know it."

"You're one of them?" the woman asked, although she knew the answer.

"Yes and it's likely that the Raikage knows that, this was obviously meant for my eyes only" Minato said, picking up the scroll. "Still, I'd rather open this here so you can all see how it's done for the future."

Minato slowly made ten separate hand signs for the benefit of those in the room before he placed his hand on top of the scroll. Instantly, a cloud of white smoke appeared and the scroll popped open. Minato was quick to pick it up and read it to himself and then contents were certainly worth protecting.

"How fast can you set up a video feed?" Minato asked the group at large.

"A couple of hours" an elderly man in the corner informed him. "We'll probably need to get some medics in as well to control the feed as they have the best chakra control. Where do you need it to go to?"

"The Land of Lightning" Minato replied. "Seems that the Raikage is looking to shake things up."

* * *

"That definitely doesn't seem right, especially when you consider how out of the blue it is. What do you think his motive is?"

Minato had only been back in his office for a couple of minutes when Jiraiya had suddenly burst in. After a minute or two of catching up, they'd began discussing the events that had just taken place.

"It's quite confusing and I'm sure that was his intention" Minato sighed. "However, I can't really deny what he's said; he's offered to sign the peace treaty. I never imagined he would actually do it, I only offered it to him because I had done the same for other lands and didn't want to give him an excuse to start a war."

"Was there anything else he said during your conversation with him?"

"It was actually quite short despite all of that setup," Minato admitted. "Apart from confirming his intention to sign the treaty, his only other contribution was that it would be signed here and one of his subordinates would represent him."

"He doesn't want to sign it himself? That's very strange, you'd expect the opposite when you consider the consequences of a peace treaty."

"Well, he claimed that he wants to sign it here because this is where the treaty with Suna was signed and it would make more of a statement" Minato explained. "He added that he didn't want to leave his village right now because he doesn't trust the Mizukage, he believes leaving the village unprotected would encourage an attack."

"That does sound like him now that you mention it" Jiraiya said. "Maybe he does want to sign a treaty, make a statement to other lands that he has Konoha on his side?"

"I highly doubt that, he despises both me and the village," Minato pointed out. "Whatever the case, we need to take precautions while they're here. I'll have the ANBU track them every second they're in the village just to be sure. One thing's for certain, I definitely won't be letting my guard down just because we have a peace agreement now, for all we know that's entire reason behind this."

"I wouldn't expect anything less" Jiraiya beamed.

"So, what have you come back for? I'm sure that even you don't have the intelligence to know this was coming."

"Well, one reason was to see my godson now that he's turned three" Jiraiya said, still with the smile on his face. "The second was to pass on some rather disturbing news I just received."

"Something to do with Orochimaru?" Minato asked, although he knew that it couldn't be anything else.

"Yeah, the first thing is that I got some confirmation that he is with the rogue from Suna" Jiraiya replied. "However, it now seems that there's more than just two of them. There's at least four, all confirmed to have gone rogue from various lands while I have unconfirmed reports of two others although there's no telling where they are from. What's more concerning is that they've all been spotted wearing headbands with a slash across the village symbol."

"Sounds like some kind of group identifier then" Minato groaned. "That certainly is a problem, the last thing we need is a bunch of S Rank criminals getting together. What about the Masked Man? Or Madara Uchiha? Do you have anything on those guys?"

"It's not really an easy topic to bring up," Jiraiya said. "Most people either laugh at the mention of him or are too scared about the prospect of him still being alive. Of the few serious leads I have, none of them pointed to Madara being among the living and I got nothing on who else that guy could be. It's strange isn't it, given how few people have dojutsu."

"That's it" Minato said, as a conversation from months ago suddenly came flooding back to him. "I know what A wants. Sorry Jiraiya Sensei but I have to go."

Minato practically jumped up from his seat and headed passed a dumbfounded Jiraiya and towards the door.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To see Hiashi and Fugaku," Minato responded. "There's something we need to discuss."

* * *

Getting the two clan leaders in one room at the same time was more difficult than Minato had imagined. Despite the fact that he was the Hokage, neither of them seemed very willing to be ordered around by Minato and as such it took a number of hours before he could finally meet them both in the Hyuga compound.

"It's strange, I always imagined that this place would be slightly bigger" Fugaku sneered, as he looked around the compound.

"They say quality over quantity and I know that we definitely have the former" Hiashi hit back. "Whether the same can be said for your lodgings remains to be seen."

"We don't have time for this" Minato interjected before Fugaku could reply. "Now, I have reason to suspect that, when the treaty is signed with the Land of Lightning, they may target both of your clans while they are in the village."

"Why would they do that?" Hiashi asked.

"A has always been jealous of this village" Minato explained. "Seeing Itachi defeat his own candidate so easily in the Chunin Exams will only have increased this jealousy. He wants the power of this village and the bloodline limits found in the eyes of your clans would be the greatest prize for him."

"Sound like some baseless accusations to me" Fugaku muttered, not bothering to keep his voice down. "Could this just be an excuse for you to attack before a treaty can be signed?"

"I've not made any accusations yet, I'm just stating that there is a chance it could happen" Minato replied calmly. "All I am asking is that, during the one night that the Kumo Shinobi are staying here, you can set up guards for your compounds. Do you want to unnecessarily risk your dojutsu falling in to enemy hands?"

"Of course not" Hiashi scoffed. "Although, any branch family members cannot have their Byakugan stolen so that means guards will only need to be set up for the main household, in particular my daughter Hinata."

Minato had to literally bite his tongue in order to stop himself from speaking out against Hiashi and the Hyuga's vile practice of placing curse marks on their branch members. What worried Minato more was Hiashi's lack of concern for the branch members, including his own brother and young nephew.

"If we do this at night, who will be watching them during the day?" Fugaku asked. "There aren't any ANBU free and everyone else will want to be a part of the celebrations surely?"

"I will watch them myself" Minato responded, while taking a mental note to later investigate into how Fugaku knew about the ANBU schedule. "I will speak to you later to confirm details."

* * *

Several weeks passed with most of the time spent on preparing the village for the arrival of the Kumo representatives and the signing of the treaty. Despite his reservations of their motives, Minato knew that this was still an official agreement and the villagers had every right to celebrate.

"Dad, do I have to wear this?" Naruto moaned, as he fidgeted in the new shirt Kushina had just forced on him.

"Sorry, I'm afraid you do" Minato replied to his son's horror. "I'll tell you what though, if you can go the whole day without mentioning how much you don't like it again, you can burn it tomorrow. How about that?"

Naruto appeared to be happy with the arrangement and quickly shook Minato's hand in agreement.

"_If only every negotiation could go this smoothly," _Minato thought, as Kushina entered the room again.

"I've just got word, they've now met their guard and are only 10 minutes away from the village," she informed him. "So we best get outside, it's not going to look good if they get here and the entire village greets them apart from us."

The parade for the Kumo Shinobi's arrival was much more grand and exciting when compared to the greeting given to the Kazekage 18 months before, with almost every person in the village lining the streets, with banners hung up and a party atmosphere in the air. It wasn't too surprising though, Suna was not as much as a threat as Kumo in terms of warfare and the deal with the Land of Wind had been expected for a long time so the initial excitement had worn off.

"Listen to those cheers" Kushina said, as she grabbed Naruto to stop him from running off. "It's amazing to think that it could all be for nothing."

"Could being the operative word" Minato reminded her. "All measures we take today are strictly precautionary, we don't know what they are planning yet so it's best not to presume anything for now."

After another few minutes of cheering the Head Shinobi of Kumogakure finally came in to view. He was flanked by two unremarkable Shinobi and in all honesty didn't seem too intimidating himself, although the bandages over his head and headband over his eye suggested that he had seen plenty of warfare and would most probably not be intimidated easily either.

"Lord Raikage sends his apologies," the Kumo Shinobi said as he reached Minato. "However, on behalf of the entire population of Kumogakure we are thrilled that peace has finally been achieved between our two nations."

"The feelings mutual" Minato responded as they shook hands. "Now, would you like to meet the elders and clan leaders of our village?"

After five minutes of hand shaking, Minato lead the Shinobi over to the stack of papers sat on the table before them.

"It's very impressive" the man commented as they walked. "Almost every clan has turned out for the historic day. However, I could not miss the fact that the Hyuga clan are absent. Such a shame that a historic clan such as them would miss an historic day like this."

Minato exchanged glances with the nearby Kushina before turning back to his guest.

"The Hyuga had other business to attend to today, I can only apologise" Minato said with as much sincerity as possible.

"That's fine, we didn't come for the sake of one clan," the Shinobi pointed out. "This is about our two villages and nothing more."

A cheer went up as he signed the paperwork that made the treaty between the two nations official. As the Head Shinobi waved to the crowd, Minato could feel his nerves and sense of dread increase, as he replayed the way the man had spoken his last line in his head.

"_Just what are you really here for?_"

* * *

"_What a strange climate Konoha has. So very warm in the day yet freezing cold at night, it must be a nightmare living here."_

The head Kumo Shinobi moved through the streets of the village quickly yet quietly having escaped the surveillance that had been placed on him. He had studied the map of the village extensively and knew every possible route he could take to reach the two compounds. Unfortunately, he had already tried to infiltrate the Uchiha compound but the amount of guards they had patrolling made it impossible.

"_So, to the Hyuga compound it is. I wonder how well guarded they are here."_

To his surprise, when he turned the corner, he found no one. Not a single member of the Hyuga or indeed any Konoha Shinobi was patrolling the compound that night.

"_Seems like the Uchiha are just that paranoid then" _he smirked to himself, as he quickly ran through the compound. "_Now then, the child's bedroom should be this one at the end."_

He slowly slid the door open and lightly walked inside. Luckily, the girl wasn't too light a sleeper and he was able to move unnoticed.

"_So, it was the Byakugan in the end" _he thought. "_Lord Raikage wanted the Sharingan more but, oh well this will have to do. Now, I just have to-"_

There was an incredible stinging pain in his back leg that forced him to the ground. It all happened in an instant and was as if he lost all movement in his leg. He tried to look back at his lifeless limb but instead his eye was drawn to several other figures in the room, in particular the long haired man wearing loose white robes.

"You'd think that if you wanted to steal a dojutsu, you would at least have an idea how it works" he spat. "The Byakugan can see 360 degrees and has a range that is far greater than this admittedly small compound. We could see what you were up to the entire time."

* * *

The sun rose over Kumogakure the next morning, basking the village in its warm glow. A watched it from his office window, imagining what would be happening in Konoha at that moment. Had everything gone to plan, and he had no reason to believe that it hadn't, they should only just be figuring out what happened, by which time his subordinate should have already gone. His only regret was that he couldn't see Minato's face at that very moment, when he realised that A had outsmarted him. Personally, he felt that worth risking war.

"Lord Raikage, a message for you" one of several Shinobi who worked under him informed him.

A grabbed the scroll, realising that it must be a copy of the Hokage's precious peace treaty. He went to open it but realised that it was marked with a seal.

"He seems to have a sense of humour" A laughed, realising that Minato had marked it with Kumo's own seal. "Darui, come over here and undo this seal."

An enthusiastic teenage boy slowly made his way over to the desk. He made the ten required seals and placed his hand on the scroll, which unsurprisingly caused smoke to appear. However, rather than opening the scroll it transformed in to a specially shaped kunai with a yellow seal wrapped around it.

"Huh? What's up with that?" Darui wondered.

"No!" A yelled, practically jumping up from the table. "It can't be!"

Just a second later, another hand suddenly appeared on the kunai. The hand was connected to Minato, who had the Head Kumo Shinobi by the scruff of his neck.

"A!" he said, his face and voice filled with anger. "How about we have a little chat?"


	5. Fate of the Clan

Chapter 5: Fate of the Clan

"Okay, so you have your lunch?"

"Yes."

"And you know where to go when you get in there?"

"Of course I do!"

"Oh, is that a good shirt for you to wear? Maybe we should find something else."

"Mom!"

"Kushina, I think it'll be fine."

Minato had to practically pick up his wife, who was kneeling in front of Naruto and messing with his shirt and brushing his hair. Despite her apparent positivity, he could tell that Kushina was obviously very nervous about her son starting at the academy. He could think of several reasons why, ranging from her own experience at the academy to the fact that Naruto hadn't been spent much time out of her sight ever since he had been born. Still, like every mother she had to let go.

"Can we go now Dad?" Naruto pleaded, basically dragging him out of the door. "I don't want to be late."

Minato sighed, gave his wife a reassuring hug and peck on the cheek and walked out the door with his son. Minato had left the house with only his Konoha uniform, purposely leaving his Hokage cloak at home. The reason for this was clear; he didn't want Naruto to stand out any more than he already did. In truth, he was hoping that his time at the academy would be the making of his son. Throughout his whole life so far he had been the privileged son of the Hokage, never had to suffer any kind of hardship and had near enough everything his heart desired. Of course this was intentional, both Minato and Kushina had difficult childhoods for various reasons and they were both determined that Naruto's would be different, with the fact that he was the Kyuubi Jinchuriki partially contributing as well. However, while this meant that he was never really unhappy, it had created it's own problems. Even though he was often a sweet and kind child, he also had an air of superiority about him that Minato didn't like and it could sometimes translate in to rather spoilt behaviour. That's why he had hope the academy would be the making of him; he would finally be on the same level as the other children doing the same work and being judged by the same standard.

"So, what's my teachers name again?" Naruto asked.

"Iruka, although you'll have to call him Sensei" Minato responded. "Remember, in that classroom his word is law and you have to do exactly as he says all right?"

"I know, I know" Naruto said blandly, not really paying attention. "I just can't wait to show everyone what I can do!"

"It's not wrong to want to prove yourself, but you have to remember that there's other people there Naruto" Minato said, but he could tell that he was being ignored.

"_I suppose he'll just have to learn this himself_" Minato thought, as they turned around the corner. A large crowd had already gathered at the door; a common sight on the first day of term. Deciding not to get too close to the entrance, Minato pulled Naruto aside.

"Can't believe we're here already" he sighed, lightly ruffling his son's hair. "Seems like only yesterday we were changing diapers and protecting you from nightmares. You grew up without me even noticing."

"Come on Dad, this is embarrassing" Naruto moaned, blushing slightly.

"Well, as your father I'm allowed to embarrass you every once in a while right?" Minato chuckled. "Okay then, you get on in there and make me the proudest father in the village."

"Will do!" Naruto said, giving a thumbs up before running off. Minato watched him barge past all of the other students and run towards the door. One of the boys wouldn't let him past and predictably an argument seemed to break out. Even more predictably, the boy in question was Sasuke Uchiha. Minato sighed and went to go and break up the fight, but before he could he noticed that an older boy was already in between them.

"_Should have known Itachi would be here, wouldn't miss a day as big as this."_

Still, despite the joyous occasion Minato noticed that Itachi seemed to be depressed, his face in a constant state of frowning. He had been this way for a while and it was no surprise. The friction between the Uchiha clan and the village had been increasing over the past few months and this had clearly taken its toll on the young boy. Seeing how the feud had hurt both him and Shisui only strengthened Minato's resolve to finally find that elusive compromise that would end the tension.

"Lord Hokage, your presence is requested at once."

Minato turned around to face the hooded ANBU, who was kneeling before him.

"What's this about?" Minato asked, sensing urgency and a small amount of panic in his voice.

"There's been a horrible incident down by the river," he stammered. "Please, just hurry I can't bear to say it."

* * *

"Oh my god, that's him right?"

"I didn't know he was going to be in our academy class!"

"Yes! We get to train with the son of the Hokage!"

Naruto had come to expect these types of reactions from his peers, being the son of the leader of the village attracted attention. However, despite the fact that he often acted as if he was annoyed by it, in truth he loved all of the focus he got from everyone else and he learned how to exploit it for all it was worth.

"Well, you can't all be my friend" Naruto said, as he addressed the crowd of students that had gathered around his desk. "I mean, I don't have that much time on my hands being son of the Hokage and all. We'll just see-"

While he was still talking, Naruto noticed that several of the kids that had surrounded him had run off to somewhere else. Suddenly, another crowd had gathered around the door, apparently very excited.

"You're of the Uchiha clan? They're the elite of the village!"

Sasuke managed to stumble his way through the crowd and find his way to a desk. Several people, most of them girls, followed and sat around him. Unlike Naruto, he didn't seem very used to the attention and was a little overwhelmed. However, Naruto felt absolutely no sympathy for him.

"_Damn Sasuke" _he thought, as he glared over at the young Uchiha. "_Trying to steal my spotlight, this is supposed to be my day to shine!"_

"All right everyone settle down, it's time for you to take your seats."

Naruto's first impression of Iruka was that he was friendly at least. He had quite a calm face and didn't see the need to yell at the students when he walked in. However, the deep scar across his nose made Naruto wary. His Dad had told him that war wounds are a testimony to someone's bravery, if they had been injured and made in out alive than they had guts. Iruka had obviously seen battle and that was something he could respect.

"So, looks like everyone is here" Iruka said, after checking the names in the class. "Now, as it's our first class I need to get an understanding of what skill level each of you is at. That means you have to give me a bit of a demonstration of what you can do."

Nervous chatter began at once, several of the students gasped and one even started to cry. Naruto knew that the majority of them wouldn't have done a single day of training in their life, after all not everyone who enters the academy comes from a well respected clan and most rely on the academy to teach the basics first.

Iruka lead the rather terrified class outside to the playground. Once they'd reached a slightly more private area, Iruka turned around to address them.

"Now, what we'll be doing is having small one on one fights to see what you are capable of" Iruka explained. "Of course, I won't be allowing any weapons to be used just in case and each of you can give in at any time, although I'd appreciate some effort."

"What if we don't even know any taijutsu?" a pink haired girl asked towards the back, as she nervously played with her hair.

"Well, I'm not expecting you all to be competent, after all this is your first stage of formal training" Iruka replied softly. "I just know that some will be on a higher level than others and I see this as a good way to test you all. If you feel that the battle has become too tough for you, you are free to give in at any time. Now, lets get started shall we?"

Iruka pulled out a scroll and started reading the various names on the list.

"Let's see, how about we start with Shikamaru Nara and Kiba Inuzuka?"

Kiba was the first to make an appearance from the crowd. He walked over to Iruka smugly, his relaxed attitude giving off an aura of confidence. In contrast, Shikamaru pretended that he hadn't heard what Iruka had said, choosing to hide towards the back of the group.

"Get out there Shikamaru!" a blonde haired girl yelled, as she pushed him through the crowd and on to the floor in front of the entire class. Shikamaru lazily wiped off his clothes and let out a groan.

"Stupid Ino" he said under his breath. "Way too much of a loudmouth for her own good, needs to learn to stay out of my business."

"Come on Shikamaru, let's see what you've got," Iruka said, as he picked the youngster up off the ground.

"Yeah Shikamaru, maybe you'll be able to last about 5 seconds against me" Kiba laughed, as he took off the grey coat he had been wearing.

"Fine whatever can we just get this over with?" Shikamaru moaned, as he walked over to the opposite end of the ground.

"Ready?" Iruka said, as he lifted his arm up. "Go!"

Kiba immediately launched himself towards Shikamaru, using both his hands and feet on the ground to propel himself forwards in a similar way to a canine.

"I give up, you said we could do that at any time right?" Shikamaru said, before Kiba could even get close to him.

"Well, I suppose" Iruka muttered, not hiding the disappointment in his voice. "Why didn't you at least try?"

"There's no point, I've played with Kiba before and he's both faster and stronger than me" Shikamaru commented, already walking back to the class. "I don't even know any ninjutsu yet, so all it would have accomplished would be me getting beat up."

Iruka could only chuckle at Shikamaru's well thought out explanation, as well as Kiba's subsequent angry outburst.

"Next up then" Iruka began, skimming through his class list once more. "Is Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."

"_Yes!_" Naruto thought, as he made his way forward and listened to the screams behind him. He knew that they weren't all for him but it didn't matter. He intended to show everyone just how superior he was and he couldn't think of a better way to do that than beating up Sasuke in front of everyone.

"Come on Sasuke!" Naruto yelled out, as he watched his opponent calmly step forward. "Why are you taking so long? You scared I'll beat you as bad as last time?"

"No, I'm just not a huge show off like you" Sasuke replied. "Besides, I've learned a few things from my brother since last time."

"Yeah? Well I haven't just been sitting around my Dad showed me some cool stuff as well" Naruto smirked.

"Ready? Go!"

Surprisingly, Sasuke was the one to make the first move. At a speed that made Kiba look slow by comparison, Sasuke moved towards Naruto. However, he was up to the challenge and was able to block Sasuke's taijutsu barrage of punches and kicks. Not wanting to be outdone, Naruto made an attempt to counter with a kick of his own. Although, this time he wasn't quick enough and merely left himself open to Sasuke's counter, which knocked him to the ground.

"Way to go Sasuke!" someone yelled out which was followed by cheers from the class. Annoyed, Naruto got back on his feet dramatically.

"So, you're a little quicker it doesn't matter" he said spitefully. "I have more to show as well, it's just that I didn't want to embarrass you."

Sasuke seemed rather unmoved by Naruto's claims, which just increased the sense of frustration he was feeling.

"_Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

In the blink of an eye, there were suddenly three identical copies of Naruto surrounding Sasuke. Once again screams of delight echoed around them but this time the sound was much sweeter to Naruto's ears. Iruka looked completely gobsmacked, a small bead of sweat dripping from his brow.

"What you going to do now Sasuke?" all three Naruto's taunted. "There's going to be three of us coming towards you and you won't know which one is me. I've got this won already."

"Well why don't you just finish me off then?" Sasuke asked, still unconcerned about the events that had taken place.

"You asked for it!" the Naruto's yelled in response before diving in at their opponent. Knowing that there was no chance that Sasuke could possibly counter him, Naruto simply pulled his arm back ready to strike. At first, it appeared that Sasuke had given up, as he made no attempt to defend himself; he only looked around at the clones.

"You're the real one!" Sasuke declared, quickly moving to dodge Naruto's attack and send a powerful kick to his torso. Naruto was helpless to defend himself and took the full force of the blow. He landed hard on the ground and struggled to even stand up again afterwards.

"Ok, I've seen enough" Iruka said, stepping forwards between the two of them. "I have to say, that was very impressive boys, and you're both much further long than I could have ever anticipated. So, we've only got one thing left to do."

Iruka helped Naruto up and walked him over to Sasuke, who was breathing heavily.

"After every battle between fellow Konoha Shinobi, you must link hands in a sign of respect and an acknowledgement that you are still allies" Iruka explained. Sasuke immediately offered his hand but Naruto was reluctant. He felt both ashamed of himself and angry at Sasuke for embarrassing him like that.

"Come on Naruto, no one likes a sore loser" Kiba called out, to the agreement of the majority of the class. Rolling his eyes, Naruto quickly touched Sasuke's hand before pulling it away again.

"Well, I guess that's good enough for now" Iruka sighed. "Naruto, are you able to walk by yourself?"

"Yes" Naruto mumbled.

"All right, well you and Sasuke can both re-join the class before the next fight," Iruka said.

As the two boys walked back over, Sasuke was mobbed by the entire class, who gave him congratulations and patted him on the back. Naruto meanwhile stood to the side by himself, looking on as everyone else practically ignored him.

"Hey" he whispered, unable to even make the required amount of noise. "What about me?"

* * *

When a man has seen war, there aren't many things that can force him to recoil in disgust. Minato had seen more than his fare share of battle and killed more enemies than he cared to remember. However, as he stood at the bottom of the cliff that morning, he found that he could barely look at the sight in front of him.

"There was this note," one of the ANBU that had gathered muttered, handing over a slip of paper.

"His eyes" Minato said, as he looked down at the body. "I can't believe that someone would be capable of taking his eyes."

Minato had spoken to Shisui Uchiha just the day before, another routine report in his office. He'd admittedly seemed down and a little stressed but then again he'd been that way for a while. Should he have seen this coming? Had he been neglectful of his duties towards his subordinates? Was this all his fault?

"Stay back, this is an investigation being conducted by the ANBU."

Minato looked over to see four Shinobi being blocked by members of the ANBU and they seemed incredibly upset about being denied access.

"It's fine, let them through" Minato shouted over. "They are members of the Police Force after all, investigating things like this is their job."

Fugaku was the first to make his way through and immediately inspected the body. He then glanced at the note in Minato's hand and appeared to piece everything together from there.

"So it's true," he stammered, physically shaking as he spoke. "You damn fool Shisui, at a time like this too!"

"It's worse than you think" Minato said. "His eyes have been stolen Fugaku and by the looks of it they were taken quite violently."

Fugaku opened up the eyelids that Minato had closed just a few seconds before and swore under his breath as he confirmed what he had been told.

"So, the notes clearly a fake then?" he asked.

"Well, it's quite convincing I'll give it that" Minato commented, as he flipped it open again. "I've read enough of his reports to know that this definitely Shisui's hand writing but copying it isn't such as impressive feat, especially for someone with the Sharingan."

"Is that an accusation?" Fugaku spat.

"Of course not, I merely raised it as a possibility" Minato responded calmly. "I'm sure the same thought must have passed over your mind. An Uchiha would benefit more from Shisui's eyes than any normal Shinobi and the Sharingan would make copying handwriting very easy. Of course, there's many other scenario's to consider as well."

"We'll keep it in mind during our investigation then" Fugaku muttered. "We'd also like to request that the ANBU run a separate inquiry into this as well."

"Of course" Minato replied, just before Fugaku began walking away. He studied the man for just a moment, noting how agitated he seemed. Of course, he had lost a fellow clansman so it was only natural that he might feel slightly upset. However, that just wasn't the vibe he was getting from him, there was a different reason for his mood.

"I suppose you should take his body to be examined" Minato told the nearby ANBU. "It probably won't do much good though, it's obvious that it is the fall what killed him and I highly doubt that whoever stole these eyes would have been foolish enough to leave behind any evidence. Report back to me once the autopsy has been completed, in the meantime I have to go and report to the elders about this."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long to gather the three elders to discuss the events. Minato had noticed that they seemed to be attracted to disaster and the more negative events. When it came to a time when they needed to discuss improvement to the village, they were nowhere to be found. It was actually rather unsettling how fascinated they were by despair.

"A rather unfortunate loss, his power was very useful" Danzo said, as he scratched his bandaged eye. "Obviously, what is more concerning is that one of our own is the one who did it. I would say it was almost certainly the Uchiha."

"You're too quick to jump to that conclusion," Minato snapped. "While it is certainly possible, there is no proof of it at all."

"Proof, careful operators will never leave behind solid evidence" Danzo replied. "Sometimes you just have to play the odds Minato as the consequences could be dire."

"That's a ridiculous notion and one that I will never agree to" Minato growled. "We do not convict people based on circumstantial evidence."

"Whatever you say Lord Hokage" Danzo said sarcastically. "Either way, it is clear that we must conduct our own private investigation given that the Uchiha could be personally involved."

Before Minato could respond, a puff of white smoke appeared just in front of the desk they were sat at. The smoke soon cleared to reveal Itachi, who had placed his ANBU mask to the side and was kneeling before them.

"Lord Danzo, honourable elders I come with grave news" Itachi began, apparently not noticing that Minato was sat there. "The situation is just as we feared."

Koharu and Homura nervously exchanged glances with each other, as Minato glared at the elders in both confusion and anger.

"You've been handing out missions to the ANBU behind my back?" Minato asked.

"Itachi, how about you-"

"No Koharu" Danzo said, interrupting his one time teammate. "I think that the Hokage needs to hear what Itachi has to say."

Itachi didn't look up once as he spoke, he merely continued to stare at the ground.

"The clan intended to move by the end of the month, my father had it all planned out" he said. "He wanted to take all of the key vantage points in the village before making his primary attack by marching on the Hokage's office. If all went well, he would be Hokage before the night was through."

"What? No, I don't believe it" Minato gasped. "A coup d'état? Why? Since when?"

"It's embarrassing how little you know," Danzo growled. "We planted Itachi as a spy in the clan months ago and he's been feeding us information ever since. We knew that, being such an Uchiha lover, you would never allow this so we took matters into our own hands."

"You had no right" Minato spat. "We can deal with that later, right now we have to concentrate on this mess. We have until the end of the month, we should open negotiations immediately."

"Actually, that's no longer true" Itachi interrupted. "That was the original plan, however it is no longer viable after Shisui's death. He was supposed to use his genjutsu in order to force you to give up power, I believe that his suicide was in order to foil these plans."

"So, what is the plan now?" Danzo enquired.

"Father seems to have become paranoid, he thinks that the village organised Shisui's death" Itachi sighed. "It looks like his plan has changed from using genjutsu to all out force. He's been talking about gathering the clan and using a full frontal attack and judging by the way he's talking he wants to do it as soon as possible."

"That's madness!" Minato exclaimed. "What's he thinking? A civil war would weaken our defences considerably, it's basically inviting an attack."

"All the more reason for us to make the first move, wouldn't you say?" Danzo said slyly. "The Uchiha currently have no idea that we know of their plans, if you take some of your ANBU and storm the clan I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult for you to erase this problem."

"That is completely out of the question, that's a disgusting suggestion even from you" Minato snapped. "Itachi, can you buy us some time? Even if it's just a few days?"

"I'll try my best of course but my relationship with the clan is not ideal" Itachi admitted. "Still, with Shisui gone it's likely that I am now the clan's trump card so I may be able to at least delay any action."

"That's all I can ask" Minato said, as he got up and walked over to the boy who he had to remind himself was only 13. They then shook hands, as was customary whenever Minato finished a meeting, before Itachi disappeared once again.

* * *

It was late by the time Minato stepped into his house and embraced the warmth of his family home, instantly guarding him from the uncharacteristically cold night.

"What's going on in here then?" Minato asked, walking into the front room to see Kushina wiping Naruto's face with a wet cloth.

"Let's just say that the first day didn't go exactly as planned" Kushina responded. "Apparently Sasuke was the one that did this while they were sparring."

"I see" Minato said, realising what must have happened. "I'm guessing your face isn't the only thing hurting, is it buddy?"

Naruto just looked away, acting as if his father hadn't spoken to him. Kushina, sensing another father-son bonding moment on the horizon, got up and headed for the door to the next room.

"I'll leave you to it" she whispered, giving her husband a wink.

Minato walked over and sat on the seat that Kushina had just vacated and unsurprisingly Naruto continued his refusal to look at him.

"You're late" he said in a slightly angry tone.

"Sorry, I had to see Kakashi about something" Minato replied. "So, first day not go to plan?"

"I don't want to talk about it" Naruto snapped, returning to his state of brooding.

"I probably wouldn't want to talk either if I got my ass kicked in front of everyone" Minato chuckled. "It's okay you know, there's no shame in getting beat, there's always going to be someone out there that's better than you."

"Try telling that to Sasuke" Naruto moaned. "He gets in a couple of lucky shots and now he's suddenly the most popular guy ever."

"So, that's what it's all really about" Minato said. "Look, I know it doesn't seem this way now but being popular with everyone isn't the be all and end all of life. Most of those kids wouldn't really be your friends anyway. The best thing is finding a small group of people that really care about you and you aren't going to find that by showing off. Being kind, funny, smart are all more important and is the type of things that people will truly respect."

Naruto pretended that he still wasn't listening but the intense concentration spread across his face betrayed him. Minato's smiled as he stared down at his son but this soon turned to a frown as a rushing feeling came over him.

"Naruto, I have to go" Minato said quickly. "Tell your mother I'll be back soon."

* * *

The icy cold of the wind felt painful against his exposed skin, although he couldn't tell if that was the reason that his hands felt numb or whether it was because the numb feeling he felt inside had spread to his extremities.

"_After all this time, years of my life spent serving this village has cumulated with this_" Itachi thought, as he stood in the shade created by the moonlight.

From his position, he could see the every house in the Uchiha compound. He could see his Aunts and Uncles, his cousins and fellow clansmen going about their nightly routine. People who had cared for him, encouraged him and been there for him since he was a child, innocently eating their dinner and talking.

"_No, they are not innocent_" Itachi told himself. "_Sasuke is still out, now is the time to make my move, I don't want him to catch me before I'm done."_

Itachi activated his Sharingan and made his way towards the nearest house, which he knew contained his elderly Aunt and Uncle. He stretched his arm out to grab his short katana when suddenly a figure appeared to block his path.

"You know, when Minato Sensei told me why he wanted me to follow you, I couldn't believe it. How could you Itachi?"

"Kakashi, your tracking skills are as excellent as ever I didn't even notice you" Itachi replied. "Still, you shouldn't interfere with something that you know absolutely nothing about. This is something that I must do and I cannot afford any disruptions."

Itachi threw a handful of Shiruken, which were predictably blocked. Kakashi drew a kunai and engaged Itachi in a kenjutsu battle, with the sounds of clashing metal echoing through the night.

"_Shit! I can't afford this" _Itachi said to himself, as he jumped back to create some distance. _"If the clan realise what's going on this will be next to impossible. However, if I waste too much chakra in order to deal with Kakashi quickly then I will be at a huge disadvantage."_

Deciding that it was best to deal with Kakashi quickly, Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"I'm sorry Kakashi but I need to get you out of the way" Itachi said, as he focused his gaze on the eyes of his Senpai.

Kakashi hurriedly launched a single kunai at Itachi, who simply moved his head to the side to avoid it.

"I am truly sorry for this Kakashi" Itachi sighed, as he prepared to activate his jutsu.

Although, not for the first time that day events took an unexpected turn. He felt the pressing of cool metal against his neck and could feel the heat of compressed chakra against the opposite ear.

"Just try it and I'll give you something to be sorry about" Minato rasped from behind him.

"Lord Hokage!" Itachi exclaimed realising that the chakra he felt was the famous Rasengan.

"It was you wasn't it!" Minato accused. "You were the one who took Shisui's eyes and you were the one that ended his life."

"You're partly right" Itachi admitted, as he realised that his mission was now doomed to failure. 'Although, there is still so much that you have wrong."

"Well, how about you enlighten me?" Minato growled, as he pressed the kunai further into Itachi's neck. "I've had enough of being lied to about this clan so it's finally time for some honesty. After that, we'll see where we stand."

* * *

"Well, this is certainly an unexpected turn of events. I had no idea that you could possibly fail this badly, Itachi."

"Shut your mouth you bastard, you've already manipulated him enough."

After Itachi had revealed the truth about the ANBU's surveillance of the Uchiha over the last few years and his orders to assassinate the clan, it didn't take long for Minato to realise the source of the problem. Luckily enough, Danzo was still in his office at that late hour and the Hokage had brought Itachi and Kakashi with him to confront the elder.

"You've blown it Minato, just as I knew you would" Danzo spat. "The Uchiha are like a virus, they will bring this village down from the inside it was my duty to act where you would not. The fact they are willing to take power through force should be enough to convince you."

"Don't try that crap with me, I can see through you" Minato shot back. ""You're the one that created this entire situation, the one drove the clan to consider a coup as their only option. What I can't understand is why? Why would a man who professes to love the village want to slaughter some of its inhabitants?"

"I see that explaining things to you is pointless" Danzo sighed. "Fortunately, I have a backup plan that I can now finally use."

Suddenly, Danzo ignited with jet-black flames that caused him to scream in agony. The heat emanating from it was extraordinary and caused Minato to jump back in fear. He quickly glanced around to see Itachi, whose bleeding eye made it evident that he had cast the jutsu.

"Itachi, why?"

"He has Shisui's eye" Itachi explained, as he panted from the exhaustion of using the jutsu. "Judging by the colour of the chakra in his eye, he was about to cast Kotoamatsukami on you so I had to act."

As he finished his explanation, Itachi's expression changed to one of shock. Minato spun around to find that Danzo had somehow completely disappeared.

"So the rumours were true," Itachi gasped.

"What rumours were those?" Kakashi asked, as he scanned around the room.

"Some of the Root members claimed that Danzo had the cells of the First Hokage implanted in the arm that he kept covered up, of course I didn't believe them until now" Itachi explained. "The fact that he was able to perform that jutsu does give undeniable proof of those claims.

"Which jutsu was it?" Kakashi pressed for more information.

"Izanagi" Minato answered before Itachi could. "The ancient Uchiha technique that allows the user to make reality an illusion, including any injuries they sustain. Apparently the cells of the Senju are required in order for it to be successful. That Danzo, I can't believe he had a technique such as that up his sleeve. He's probably escaping the village as we speak."

"So, we should go after him right?" Kakashi asked. "After all, he moves very slowly so we should be able to catch him."

"Not very likely, Danzo knows this place better than anyone" Minato sighed. "Plus, based on what Itachi told us about communication via the curse marks he placed on the tongues, he probably has his Root operatives covering his escape. That old bastard managed to outmanoeuvre me, he's been deceiving me for years."

"So what do we do from here?" Itachi asked, confused for one of the first time in years.

"Well, just because it will be difficult it doesn't mean we shouldn't at least try to stop him" Minato responded. "After all, with the information he has on the village and his pathological need for power he will be a very dangerous enemy of the village. Kakashi, I want you to set up a pursuit squad at once and find him."

"Of course" Kakashi replied, before leaving at once.

"What will we do?" Itachi asked.

"We're going to go and talk to your father" Minato replied. "Hopefully, it's not too late to repair the damage that Danzo has done."

* * *

"I can't believe this. Itachi, you would betray the clan for this village."

"Don't blame Itachi for this Fugaku, it was a combination of things that has led us to this point not least of which was Danzo's plotting."

Minato and Fugaku sat face to face with each other in the latter's home. Itachi and his mother Mikoto nervously stood to the side watching.

"So, the great Fourth Hokage was deceived by an old fool" Fugaku muttered. "I bet that one hurts, doesn't it Minato?"

"You see Fugaku, this is exactly the type of behaviour that needs to stop" Minato sighed. "You need to understand, all I have ever wanted from the start was for us to work together and that can still happen."

"How can I trust you? Why should I trust you?"

"Enough of this Fugaku!" Minato yelled, knocking the table over between them. "Do you want to know where all of this talk has led to? Do you want to know what your mistrust and anger has led to? Your son was literally two minutes away from killing everyone he has ever loved and do you know why? It wasn't just because of Danzo, it was down to the position you forced him into. Who knows what will happen if you let this continue!"

"Mom, what's going on?"

Sasuke walked into the room while rubbing sleep from his eyes. He looked around the room, trying to understand what was happening.

"It's nothing Sasuke, come on let's go back to bed" Itachi said, taking his brother by the hand and leading him away.

"Do you want your son to be orphaned?" Minato continued. "If you continue down this path and really do try to attack, that's what is going to happen."

"All right, I get your point" Fugaku conceded. "I'm just tired Minato, tired of feeling persecuted and tired of all this pressure."

"Well, we can end all that if you would just be willing to work with me" Minato responded, as he offered a handshake. "So, what do you say?"

Fugaku eyed the hand suspiciously, as if he thought that Minato would attack him at any moment.

"I'm not saying that I'll agree to everything you suggest, nor am I happy with every policy of this village" Fugaku began, as he leaned forward slightly. "However, I am willing to negotiate with you Minato."

The two men then shook hands and began discussions over how they could finally move forward.

**A/N: Firstly, the next chapter should be out by next week hopefully but after that releases might be a little more spaced out because I am going back to University. **

**Secondly, I know some people were looking forward to the conversation between Minato and A. Rest assured, that conversation will come up later so you won't be missing out on it.**

**Thirdly, I need your guys help with something. The next chapter will take place after the Academy graduation and will feature the formation of the Genin teams. I can't decide whether or not to mix up the teams or keep them as they are in canon. I have storylines for both so I'll leave it up to you guys. I have a poll up on my profile that I will leave** **up for the next two days so you can vote to either keep the teams the same or change them up. However, just so you know if the teams are mixed up I've already decided on the new one's so you won't be able to influence who is paired with whom. Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter and you'll keep reading :)**


	6. Team 10

Chapter 6: Team 10

"Stop fussing over it Minato! You haven't made any changes to it in days so I don't see why you have to keep reading it" Kushina said, as she sat down at the breakfast table early that morning. Minato was busy reading over a scroll with a list of names on it that he had divided up weeks before.

"There's just so many things to consider" Minato sighed, as he rolled it up one more time. "I'm telling you, deciding on the Genin squads this year is much more difficult than before, there's such a vast array of different personalities and abilities and even deciding on the Sensei's is giving me a headache."

"Don't lie Minato, you've been spending all this time deciding on Naruto's team" Kushina joked, joining her husband at the table. "I've taken a peak at that scroll, you've paired him with basically everyone at some stage."

"Yeah, I'm not sure if that's because I'm indecisive or if Naruto's just that much of an enigma" Minato joked. "Although, I'm pretty settled with it now I think I was just making sure that I hadn't left anyone out by mistake."

"Minato Namikaze making a mistake? Never!" Kushina said sarcastically, although it was obviously in good humour.

"It's not too late you know" Minato called out to her as she went back into the kitchen. "I could assign you to a team if you wanted."

"Heck no, I didn't come out of retirement just to teach a bunch of Genin some basic jutsu" Kushina replied forcefully. "I want that adrenaline of being out on a mission again, that pure thrill of knowing that you're on the edge of death can't be beat!"

Hearing his wife talking about such risks in a casual way wasn't something that Minato was willing to encourage but his arguments over the past few months had fallen on deaf ears. After over a decade of being a housewife and raising their son, she was ready to go back to the life of a Jonin once more.

"Well don't be expecting anything like that right away" Minato warned her. "After all, no one else who had been retired for so long would be allowed to go straight back into A rank missions without sharpening their skills."

"Yes of course" Kushina responded. "Anyway, shouldn't you get going now? You have a lot to do today."

"Doesn't really make it different to any other day then" Minato chuckled. "Actually, this is one of my favourite days of the year. All that excitement from both the new Genin and the instructors is palpable, I can't wait to see their faces when they find out who they're with."

As if he was trying to mimic this excitement, Minato practically jumped up from his seat, kissed his wife goodbye and moved towards the door.

"Oh yeah, make sure you wake Naruto up soon" he called to Kushina. "I do not want him to be late for today."

After receiving assurances that it would be done, Minato set off. Initially, he had intended to go straight to the Jonin meeting room where he would reveal the teams but discussion of lateness gave him an idea. He took a right just before his office and headed towards the training field.

"Hard to believe it's been this long" Minato said, as he walked over to the memorial stone and Kakashi who was standing before it. "Seems like yesterday that I was putting you all through your paces, if I remember you and Obito spent most of the time arguing."

"We got the bells in the end" Kakashi pointed out. "Even if you went easy on us."

"Well, I'm not as harsh as you Kakashi" Minato said, laughing slightly as he did. "I wasn't going to go all out, even though you were a Chunin those two were fresh out of the academy. Maybe you should give your Genin teams more of a chance in the future, maybe then one of them may actually pass."

"I've told you before, unlike you I don't grade on whether they can get the bells" Kakashi responded. "As long as they can work as a team and show some promise, then I'll pass them. It's just that no one ever thinks to work as a team; they're all too selfish."

Minato was tempted to remind Kakashi of how long it took for his old team to show any kind of teamwork but thought better of it.

"Well, the last thing we want any team of yours to learn is your lateness habits" Minato said. "Come on, if you don't come with me now you'll probably miss the whole thing."

Master and student walked away from the stone and set off towards the meeting.

"So, are you going to put me out of my misery now or make me wait to find out who I'm going to be getting this time?" Kakashi asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

"That's actually one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you before" Minato replied. "I'm not telling you who you've got but I will tell you that you won't be with Naruto."

"Oh right" Kakashi muttered, the hope in his voice quickly turning to obvious disappointment.

"It's just that he's known you all his life and it's a little unfair to let him be taught by someone he's already close to while the rest have to deal with stress of people they don't know" Minato explained. "Besides, it would tough for you to be impartial."

"Yeah, I guess you're right as usual" Kakashi said, at least trying to hide his disappointment a little more.

"All right, I'll tell you who one of the kids are" Minato gave in, hoping he could cheer Kakashi up. "Sasuke Uchiha will be in your team."

"Fugaku's son?" Kakashi responded, looking much more active. "Actually on reflection I'm not sure what to think of that; pressure from Fugaku isn't something I want to encourage."

"I won't deny that he can be slightly intimidating" Minato admitted. "But Sasuke should be a joy to teach, he reminds me a little of you when you were young. His Dad says that he's got at least as much potential as Itachi and his Sharingan should be awakening some time soon."

"Sounds like you and Fugaku are talking a lot more then" Kakashi commented. "So he's getting a little easier to handle?"

It was true that Minato had been seeing a lot more of the Uchiha clan leader than he used to but then again there was no way for him to avoid that. One of the compromises that had been reached was that Fugaku would take Danzo's place on the council, giving him a stage where he could voice his views and have direct access to information regarding the village. At first it had been difficult to deal with the demanding Uchiha but as time went on, he'd learned how to get through the meetings and even found that not all of his ideas were completely ridiculous. At the very least, it was better to hear them this way than to have Fugaku scheming behind his back.

"He's missed the last couple of meetings actually" Minato said. "The police force are a little preoccupied right now, they think they may have found a lead on where Danzo is so they're working overtime."

"You don't sound too confident about that" Kakashi said.

"I've got Jiraiya Sensei out looking for him and he hasn't reported anything back so I definitely have my doubts" Minato explained. "Still, it's officially their investigation so they can do what they like."

The conversation ended as they reached the meeting room. As they walked in, Kakashi joined the assembled group of Jonin and Minato moved to the desk at the front of the hall. He took a glance at those that had gathered, before opening the scroll.

"Everyone I need to speak to is already here so we can start" Minato began. "Firstly, I would like to say congratulations to Kurenai and Kabuto who have just been promoted to Jonin."

Kabuto, who was kitted out in a Konoha uniform, nervously waved at the other Jonin as they clapped him, before he adjusted his glasses that had slipped slightly on his face. He wasn't the most intimidating looking Shinobi that Konoha had, physically he was unimpressive and his immature face and shoulder length grey hair made him appear even younger than he was. However, Minato knew just how valuable he truly was. They'd discovered him after interviewing Danzo's Root associates, he'd been sent on espionage missions in foreign lands without Minato's consent. I turned out that he was a very powerful Shinobi in his own right and his abilities with medical ninjutsu were the best since Lady Tsunade herself.

"So, on to the Genin team allocations" Minato declared, captivating everyone gathered. He went through the first six teams, before finally reaching team 7.

"The Jonin Sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."

Kakashi stepped forward to learn of his team.

"Your team will consist of Sasuke Uchiha" Minato said, glancing over at Fugaku in the corner who appeared to be making a movement slightly similar to a nod. "Ino Yamanaka and Shino Aburame."

There was a small flutter of conversation that went through the group and Minato had a hunch that he knew what they were talking about. Some of them would be asking why Kakashi wasn't given Naruto but he suspected that there was another source of contention.

"What about the Ino-Shika-Cho formation?" someone called out, confirming Minato's suspicions.

"Shikaku, were you on the same Genin team as Inoichi and Choza?" Minato asked the nearby Jonin commander.

"No sir" Shikaku replied in his deep and hoarse voice. "We didn't team up for the first time until we were Chunin."

'There you have it" Minato declared, looking to end the matter quickly. "We all know that it's impossible to team up with the same people in every mission, these kids need to learn versatility rather than relying on the same group all the time. Now then, Kurenai Yuhi will be taking charge of Team 8."

Kurenai stepped forward slightly awkwardly, twirling her flowing black hair with the finger.

"Your team will consist of Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka and Choji Akimichi" Minato said, which brought about another round of applause. Kabuto was next to be assigned a team, although he was given Genin with only average grades and none of which belonged to a clan.

"Team 10's Jonin Sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi" Minato declared, as Asuma moved to the front with a confident swagger. Minato noted the red and white sash peeking out from the bottom of his jacket, a symbol of pride after his years spent with Guardian Shinobi Twelve. After having been back only a couple of months, Minato had been impressed with both his attitude and skills. He only wished that the 3rd could have seen how well his son had turned out.

"Your team will consist of Hinata Hyuga, Shikamaru Nara" Minato began, pausing before the last name. He smiled just before he continued. "With Naruto Uzumaki completing the group."

Minato could only laugh at the reaction to that announcement. Asuma's jaw literally dropped and he could hear several gasps of shock from around the room. Nobody bothered questioning it after Minato's last response but he could still tell that he had left quite the impression.

"I'll hand this list to Iruka and he'll inform the Genin" Minato continued, as if nothing had happened. "They should be ready for you to go and pick them up in about an hour and Kakashi that means 60 minutes."

Most of the room laughed at the little dig at Kakashi's poor timekeeping skills, which had become legendary. They then all began to filter out of the room, apart from Asuma who purposely held back. Minato knew what he wanted, so he also remained in the room until everyone else had left.

"You wanted to talk to me Asuma?" Minato asked.

"Are you sure about this Lord Hokage?" Asuma said. "I mean, I've only just come back and this is the first Genin group I've taught. Wouldn't you want someone with more experience to watch over your son?"

"Experience is over rated. Not to give myself too much praise but I got Kakashi to Jonin when he was only 13 and he was my first ever student" Minato pointed out. "You'll need to be more confident than this if you want to handle Naruto, not to mention how much effort you'll have to put into making Shikamaru Nara do anything at all."

"That still wasn't an answer" Asuma replied sternly.

"You once said to me that that you wanted to be recognised for what you have accomplished rather than just being the Hokage's son" Minato said. "You've done that, now when anyone thinks of Asuma Sarutobi, they remember all the stories they heard about the loyal guard of the Feudal Lord. That's what Naruto needs now, someone to help him forge his own identity and you're the best person for that job. Besides, you two share the same chakra nature as well."

Despite everything else Minato had said, the last comment was the one that had caught Asuma's attention.

"Well what do you know" Asuma smirked. "So, you're kids got a wind style chakra nature, never would have guessed it. All right, I'll see what I can do for him then."

"That's all I ask" Minato said, as Asuma headed towards the door. Minato prepared to leave as well, before he heard the echo of steps behind him and felt a presence walk towards him.

"If you're here, that means I'm about to here some bad news aren't I?" Minato sighed.

* * *

The excitement around the usually bland academy classroom was obvious, as the ten teams sat in different areas awaiting the arrival of their Jonin instructors. Naruto was sat with his feet on the chair, struggling to sit still. After his promotion to Genin, he had changed his outfit and now sported the light mesh like material that the majority of Shinobi wore and had an orange sleeveless jacket over it. His brand new leaf headband was strapped tightly to his forehead, with the knot from the brown band leaving two fairly long strands that hung down the back of his head. He also carried two pouches around his waist, which contained basic equipment such as kunai and Shiruken.

In contrast to Naruto's agitation, Shikamaru was asleep on his chair and Hinata just looked down right terrified. Naruto had always thought of Hinata as slightly strange but still a nice person overall. She very rarely spoke, only really doing so to reply to another who had spoken to her. Yet, Naruto knew that she was from a noble clan in the Hyuga and that as a teammate she would be very useful.

"Who do you think our Sensei will be?" Naruto asked, trying to calm Hinata's nerves and liven up Shikamaru.

"Don't care" Shikamaru replied. "This whole Genin thing is going to be so troublesome no matter who we get, I just hope it isn't someone that expects too much manual labour."

"Figured as much" Naruto muttered as a reply. "What about you Hinata?"

"Oh, I don't know" she said quietly. "I just want them to be understanding and kind."

Naruto nodded in agreement as he scanned the room. Six teams were now left, the other four having already been collected by their teachers. He had to hand it to his Dad; the teams seemed reasonably well mixed in terms of ability. As he looked around, he caught eyes with Sasuke and both glared at each other for a couple of seconds. After being neck and neck at the top of the class for the entire year, it turned out that they both finished with the exact same score and tied for first place. Of course, this only fuelled Naruto's desire to beat Sasuke and he was sure that Sasuke felt the same.

The opening of the door interrupted Naruto's thoughts. Everyone looked over as a bearded man stepped inside while lighting a cigarette.

"I'm here to collect Team 10" he called out, before taking a drag. "Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara and Hinata Hyuga, lets go."

Unsure of what to think, the three of them did as they were told. He led them to a rooftop, where he sat the three Genin opposite him.

"My name is Asuma Sarutobi and I'll be your Jonin instructor," he announced. "At this point, I've been told that we usually get to know each other by asking a few questions. However, I'm not going to do that."

"Why not?" Naruto asked.

"Not really my style" Asuma responded. "I'm not going to learn much from a few nervy responses here. I'd rather learn about you as we go along."

"So, what's the point of this if you're not going to ask us anything?" Shikamaru wondered.

"You catch on quick" Asuma chuckled. "I'm actually here to give you your first assignment."

The announcement caught Naruto off guard, so much so that he actually jumped after Asuma finished speaking.

"We're going on a mission already!" he yelled, getting excited.

"Oh no, it's not a mission" Asuma said gravely. "Actually, it's a test that I'm going to put you through. You see, of the ten teams that graduate, only three will actually become Genin. The rest will be sent back to the academy."

Naruto reacted to this by yelling, Shikamaru looked rather unfussed while Hinata appeared to be quite anxious.

"So, what's the test?" Shikamaru inquired, although he sounded as if he didn't really want to know.

"Well, for starters we're going to be starting right away" Asuma explained. "This'll simulate problems you can have as a Shinobi, especially for Chunin. I'm going to head into the village and disguise myself. You are to treat me as an enemy and your goal is to capture me."

"What? You expect us to catch a Jonin?" Shikamaru exclaimed. "That's not fair, there's no way we can do that!"

"Won't know unless you try and that's the main point of this exercise" Asuma responded, as he drew some blood and made some seals. "Now, after I leave you'll have five minutes before you can come to try and find me. Just to make sure, I'll leave this guy here."

Asuma placed his palm on the ground and summoned a small white monkey wearing a grey vest.

"5 minutes" Asuma said, as he moved over to the edge of the roof. "You have until 4 pm, if I haven't passed you by then consider it a fail."

With his ominous declaration still lingering, Asuma jumped off the roof and headed towards the village. Naruto made a dash to the edge in order to see where he went but by the time he got there, Asuma had vanished.

"He's quicker than he looks" Naruto complimented. "So, what do we do?"

Naruto looked towards Shikamaru, his eyes filled with hope. The young Nara did his best to pretend that he couldn't see but in the end he was reeled in when Hinata looked over to him as well.

"Alright, here's the plan."

* * *

The wide window at the back of Minato's office gave him a great view of the entire village. From this vantage point, he watched Naruto lead his team through the village on a hopeless chase to find Asuma. He couldn't help but laugh, despite everything he had taught him Naruto's movements were the least conspicuous he had ever seen.

As he watched, he poured some sake into a glass. It wasn't for him; Minato hadn't drunk alcohol since he was a teenager. He didn't like the effect it had on him, he felt as if he wasn't fully in control of himself and it often made him feel slightly depressed. Still, he normally kept some in his office for these types of conversations.

"Akatsuki, that's a strange name" Minato commented, as he handed the glass over. "So, what do you know about them?"

Jiraiya graciously accepted the drink and downed half of it in one gulp.

"Not much, as you'd expected" Jiraiya replied. "What I have learned sends chills down my spine when I think of it. Orochimaru, Sasori of the Red Sand and Kisame Hoshigaki of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, that's just three of the men that we know are in the organisation. Ten Shinobi of that calibre is a truly terrifying prospect, they obviously want something big."

"But we don't know what that is" Minato sighed, as he held his head in his hands for just a moment of frustration. "What about Madara, is he connected to this?"

Minato had taken to calling the masked man that he fought all that time ago "Madara." He claimed that it was because that was the most likely culprit but the truth was that he couldn't bear the idea of someone else holding that type of power.

"I haven't heard anything but I'd say it's likely" Jiraiya responded. "The majority of members aren't known, so it wouldn't be too difficult to hide himself within the group. Even if he isn't involved right now, this is too good of an opportunity for him to pass up."

"We'll just have to keep an eye out then," Minato decided. "At the very least, with Orochimaru involved we know that this village is likely to become a target in the future."

"Just as I thought" Jiraiya said, as he grinned. "In fact, I've already set up a network to track their movements and dig for more information. You're very predictable at times Minato."

"_Yeah, that's I'm worried about" _Minato thought, as he lost track of Naruto who was running through the street.

* * *

"_He had done it, he had finally perfected the jutsu after days of practice and he was ready to complete his goal. It was late at night but he didn't need the cover of darkness to aide him anymore. Thanks to his jutsu, he was now completely invisible to the human eye and he had free reign to go where he wanted. He carefully navigated through the village and towards the bathhouse where-"_

Kakashi lifted his eyes up from the book for just a moment, giving him enough time to block the incoming Shiruken. This was followed up by a cloud of blue coloured bugs but a simple _Katon _was enough for Kakashi to deal with the threat.

"_Seems as if they're beginning to get it" _Kakashi realised, as he heard the sound of breaking twigs, signifying an attack from behind. He spun around and grabbed Sasuke's arm before his attempted punch could connect. The young Uchiha made several more attempts at landing a blow but Kakashi was equal to every single one.

"Ino!" Sasuke yelled out, sounding a little annoyed.

Kakashi noted that Ino, whom he had been keeping an eye on in the trees, had now changed her stance and was extending her arms in his direction. He paused for just a second, waiting until she had cast the jutsu before he made his move. Once that had been done, he quickly moved Sasuke's body in the way so that he would receive the Mind Transfer.

"As I thought" Kakashi said, as Ino's lifeless body fell to the floor. "It was a good plan but you made it too obvious, it was never going to work on me."

However, the young Genin weren't done yet. With both of Kakashi's hands holding on to Sasuke's wrists, Ino threw another batch of Shiruken at him while Shino did the same from the opposite angle.

"_So that's what they're up to_" Kakashi realised. _"Once I let go to deflect the Shiruken, Sasuke's arm will be free to grab the bells. Not bad."_

Before the Shiruken hit him, Kakashi disappeared and was replaced with a log. Kakashi jumped down from the tree he had moved to and walked over to the now tired Genin.

"You've done better than most I'll give you that" Kakashi praised the team. "Surely you have to realise that you can't get these bells?"

"No" Sasuke gasped, catching his breath. "My brother passed this test long ago and I'll do the same just you watch. Shino, Ino spread out time to use our third plan."

The two did as Sasuke instructed and the young Uchiha made hand signs for a _Katon _jutsu.

"_It's just like looking at me when I was his age" _Kakashi thought. _"Maybe you really do have some potential after all, Sasuke Uchiha._"

* * *

"Well Hinata, is that him?"

From atop the building they were standing on, Hinata activated her Byakugan, the veins around her eyes becoming raised and harsh. She studied the man down below for a few seconds, comparing the chakra she saw to the chakra that had been used on the summon. Soon enough, she appeared to be satisfied.

"I'm sure this one is him" Hinata replied. "So, we can start the plan?"

"Hell yeah we can!" Naruto yelled, no longer needing to stay hidden. He quickly crossed his two fingers and looked down at Asuma triumphantly.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Two clones of Naruto stood next to the real one, who crossed his arms to display his confidence. Drawing kunai, all three jumped down and attacked. Asuma quickly dealt with the two clones, while the original jumped back and made hand seals.

"_Futon: Shinkuha!"_

A small gust of wind erupted from Naruto's mouth and was powerful enough to force Asuma to raise his hands in defence. As Naruto kept up his jutsu, a thin shadow ran between his legs and headed towards his Sensei. At first it appeared as if Asuma wouldn't notice but just before he could be touched, the Jonin doubled back and moved out of Shikamaru's range and then overpowered Naruto with a _Futon _of his own.

"I'm not done yet," Naruto yelled out, pointing his finger at Asuma.

Asuma then realised what Naruto meant, as what seemed to be hundreds of Naruto clones jumped off the nearby rooves and towards Asuma. He was just about to counter, when he realised that he was unable to move.

"I see" Asuma said, as he looked at the ground beneath him. "The clones made a shadow, which then extended Shikamaru's range and I ended up caught by it. That's incredibly impressive."

"Yeah, and now I've got you!" Naruto yelled, each of his clones spreading their arms in expectation.

"Not quite" Asuma smirked, as the Naruto's jumped on him. However, rather than seeing an impressed Jonin, Naruto only found a single log at the bottom of his pile.

"You fell for a Substitution?" Shikamaru moaned, hitting his palm against his forehead.

"Shut up Shikamaru" Naruto shot back angrily. "Hinata, where's Asuma Sensei now?"

"I'm sorry" Hinata stammered, appearing to be getting increasingly upset. "My Byakugan doesn't have a very big range, I can't see that far."

"Well, there's no reason to get distressed over that" Shikamaru pointed out, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Truth be told I'm glad, I don't want to go after him anyway."

"Well it's too bad Shikamaru" Naruto yelled out, punching his arm in the air enthusiastically. "Come on, if I use my clones it'll be easy."

"I very much doubt that" Shikamaru replied, as he slowly walked towards Naruto. "Come on Hinata, the quicker we do this the quicker we can leave."

"Oh, okay."

Just above them, Asuma was smoking a cigarette and watching the Genin as they went.

"Not bad" he grinned. "Definitely enough for a pass. Something about those kids just seems to click, either way the next few months will certainly be interesting. I'm not that eager to get started though, so I'll wait a couple of hours before letting them know."

**A/N: This chapter is a little short; I had to rush due to lack of time, as you might be able to tell. The next one probably won't be out for another couple of weeks, as I won't have much chance to write. However, from now on I'll reveal the name of the next chapter in a note at the end of the chapter. **

**Next chapter: "The Rogue's from Kiri." **


	7. The Rogue's From Kiri

Chapter 7: The Rogue's from Kiri

"Dad, you're joking right?"

"Why would I be joking? You're only Genin, so I will continue to give you D rank missions, I've explained this to you many times."

Naruto frowned, as he tied his headband, obviously trying his best to bite his tongue and refrain from starting an argument. This lasted for all of thirty seconds.

"You sent Sasuke's team on a C Rank mission 2 days ago" Naruto moaned. "Why do they get special treatment when I'm your son?"

Minato sighed and shot Kushina a look across the kitchen table but she just simply kept her head down, clearly wanting to stay out of the argument.

"If you must know, Sasuke's team completed all of their missions in record time" Minato replied. "They earned their chance at a higher ranked mission through their performance. On the other hand, your team has somehow managed to fail a couple of your missions, what does that say to me?"

"It's all Shikamaru's fault" Naruto muttered. "He's just so lazy, he says that putting any effort into these missions is just too troublesome for him and when he doesn't help us, things take too long and it's a fail."

Kushina chuckled as she watched Naruto get all worked up, before deciding to break her silence and join in.

"Well, how about you encourage him to join in more? Surely your liveliness has an effect on him?"

"It has an effect all right," Naruto groaned. "He thinks that I'll just do his work for him because I'm determined to pass the mission. Even Asuma Sensei struggles to make him do anything, normally he has to convince him with a game of Shogi."

"If only you could be convinced so easily" Minato chuckled. "Look, it's just something you'll have to deal with yourself, this is part of what being on a team is all about."

"I guess" Naruto sighed. "So what kind of mission did they go on anyway?"

"Just a simple escort mission to the Land of Waves, nothing too exciting" Minato replied. "Any Chunin would probably be able to do it on their own without a problem, its mostly just watching out for bandits and things like that. You really aren't missing out on much."

It was clear that Naruto saw through Minato's attempts at trying to cheer him up but he didn't say anything about it. He finished his breakfast without any more complaints, before standing up again with renewed vigour.

"All right, well there's no point in hanging around here much longer, we need to get to work!" Naruto declared.

"All ready? Your mission doesn't start for another five hours," Minato pointed out.

"No, I'm meeting Asuma Sensei for some training first" Naruto explained. "He said he'd show me a new _Futon _jutsu today if I can get there early enough, so see you later!"

With that, Naruto turned and rushed out the door. Kushina began laughing once again, while Minato just gave a wry smile. His boy was really growing up and while that did bring up conflicting emotions within him, he knew that wasn't the true reason for his recent mood.

"What is it?" Kushina asked, sensing the problems running through her husbands mind. It always amazed Minato how easy Kushina was able to read him; it had been that way for years. In contrast, she was such a mix of emotions and thoughts that most of the time he had no idea what was going on.

"That positive attitude, his carefree nature and a determination to get things done" Minato began. "You know who he reminds me of?"

"Obito" she answered at once, to Minato's surprise. "The similarities are obvious, he even looks slightly similar to him; especially the hair. I know it must be hard for you to be reminded of him all the time, but you need to put that to the back of your mind."

Kushina grabbed Minato's hand from across the table, and stroked it tenderly. The fate of his students was usually a taboo subject around him. Even though his grief wasn't as obvious as Kakashi's, the death of the pair he had taught since they were children hit him hard and continued to play on his mind, despite all of the time that had passed.

"You know, maybe you should give him a chance at a higher ranked mission" Kushina suggested, obviously wanting to change the subject. "With a bit more at stake, it could help with that Shikamaru situation and with the Chunin Exams coming up, he might need to show off a bit more to convince Asuma that he should be entered."

Minato considered her words for a second, appreciating the logic behind them at least.

"Maybe, although there isn't really many missions to give that would be suitable for Genin" Minato responded slowly. "There's just too much to deal with right now, both inside and outside the village."

Hosting the Chunin exams was stressful enough and the Intel that was arriving on his desk on a daily basis was only adding to that stress. The actions of Kumo were beginning to become slightly concerning. They'd had a huge spike in the number of Chunin graduating each year and the amount of missions they were undertaking was increasing as well. It was quite obvious to even the most casual observer of these events that the Raikage was putting on a show of strength, looking to worry Minato. While that in itself would not be a cause for concern, the announcement that they had signed an alliance with Iwa most certainly was. Onoki was not one to discourage war or sign treaties and the fact that he had teamed up with A was alarming.

"I'm not sure how things could get much worse."

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The noise had echoed out across the entirety of the building for days on end. The man had no idea what it was and frankly, at that moment, he didn't even want to know. There were many rooms inside the underground bunker and many darkened hallways that concealed them. He had only been inside a few and that was enough to convince him of two things. Firstly, that his suspicions were true and that the rumours of just how big of a monster he was dealing with were not exaggerated in the least. Secondly, he knew that he didn't want to look inside anymore.

He walked through one of the only hallways that were fully lit, using his walking stick to assist him in moving forward. He had made this walk so many times over the last few years and each time he had to wonder the same thing. How did he end up like this? Where did it all go wrong? He was not used to seeing his carefully laid plans collapse all around him and just thinking about the way things had turned out was enough to make his blood boil.

Finally, he reached the door at the end of the hallway. After a slight hesitation, he pushed it open and stepped inside. There was a foul smell in the room, most likely emanating from one of the many test tubes that littered the various benches. A man sat at a desk in the far corner, reading a scroll under the light of lamp.

"I thought I told you to knock before you entered," the man hissed, not looking up from his readings.

That wasn't dignified with a response. After attaining the position of respect he once held, he refused to be treated to like a lowly Genin.

"The preparations have been made, the operation can begin at any time" he responded.

"Not in a playful mood today, are we Danzo?" the man said, chuckling manically under his breath as he did. "You should lighten up a little, a man in your predicament shouldn't let himself worry too much as it could easily overwhelm you."

Danzo bit his tongue, doing his best not to dignify the jibe with a response; it was just what he was looking for. After a few seconds of silence, the man continued speaking.

"The Chunin exams should be taking place soon, right?"

"Don't play games Orochimaru, you know full well they are seeing how many times I've told you" Danzo snapped, losing his composure for a second. Just being in the same room as the snake disgusted him.

"Now now, there's no need to be rude," Orochimaru replied. "I was just looking for clarification, after all I am a busy man, and I don't always have time to remember these details. The Chunin Exams would be the best time to strike then, the Genin aren't afforded the same level of protection during the Second Phase so they would be far easier for your informant to snatch our prize."

"Agreed, I had already told my subordinate to act at that time, I just came for confirmation," Danzo said, as he turned to leave. However, Orochimaru seemed intent on stretching out the conversation a little longer.

"You know Danzo, it would be very foolish of you to betray me" Orochimaru said. "After wasting that precious eye on your own selfish need of survival, you would have no way of stopping me from killing you."

Danzo pressed down on his walking stick so hard a noticeable crack appeared in the wood. He found it difficult to keep malice out of his voice when he next spoke.

"You wouldn't have gotten anywhere without me. If you were still alone, you would have no way of accessing this boy you so desire. You owe a lot to my so called selfish need for survival."

Orochimaru began to laugh after Danzo had finished. However, it wasn't his usual quiet chuckle, it was a loud and demonic howl which caused him to lift his head back.

"You're an even bigger fool than I thought!" Orochimaru yelled out, as he finished laughing. "You really think that I wouldn't have a plan of my own? You really think that I don't have a back up waiting to be enacted at this very moment? Let me make one thing clear Danzo, I'm only using you right now to keep things fun. If you fail in this task, I will have no qualms about killing you and then proceeding with my own plan. Understand?"

After he finished listening to the speech, Danzo left the room without a word. He quietly closed the door and walked down the hallway, his walking stick wobbling as he did. His breathing had increased and a bead of sweat ran down his face, all the while the sound of Orochimaru's laugh echoed all around him.

* * *

"So, is anyone going to explain what happened here?"

The sight before Minato's eyes was rather bemusing. Naruto was covered from head to toe in dirt, Shikamaru was covered in bruises and Hinata appeared downright terrified of the former while Asuma stood over them, grinning awkwardly.

"I think Naruto took your words of taking things into his own hands a little too seriously" Asuma commented. "You see-"

"Shikamaru was sitting around doing nothing as usual, while Hinata and I had to pull all the weeds in that field by ourselves" Naruto interjected. "So, I made a bunch of clones to force Shikamaru to work and his attempts to fight back is what gave the bruises."

"So, how did you end up with so much dirt?" Minato asked, struggling to keep it together at this point as he fought the urge to burst out laughing.

"Well, Sasuke's team got a C rank by breaking records, so that's what I wanted to do" Naruto explained. "And it worked! The entire field was done in the fastest time ever!"

Minato couldn't deny that, even though his method was somewhat questionable, he did at least achieve the desired result. Minato prepared himself to give Naruto a speech about how the ends do not always justify the means, but a dramatic opening of the door stopped him before he could begin.

"Urgent message" the panicked young Chunin said, as he rushed over to the desk with a small scroll in his hand. Minato quickly unrolled it and began reading.

"_Intercepted by rogue Shinobi eh? Must be quite powerful to push Kakashi to his limits, seems he working as part of a two man team. Appears that Mr Tazuna was lying about the level of protection he needed._ _The question now is who to send in as backup?"_

Minato instinctively looked up, to see Naruto staring at him intently.

"_Could I really take such risks with my own son? This isn't some kind of low life Chunin that could be dealt with so easily, although judging by what Kakashi has said about him, both Asuma and Kakashi should be able to deal with him while working as a team and it would be beneficial for him to see combat at that level."_

"All right" Minato declared, coming to an internal decision. "Team Asuma, I have a new mission for you."

Everyone except Shikamaru, who doggedly refused to move from his slouched position, quickly stood to attention.

"Team Kakashi's mission has become more complicated, they have encountered enemy Shinobi and require backup immediately. You are to go to the Land of Waves and meet Kakashi and give him whatever assistance he needs."

A few seconds passed without any kind of reaction, as Minato's words sunk in. Predictably, Naruto was the one to break this by jumping up and down and loudly screaming about his excitement.

"Enemy Shinobi? Aren't we a little inexperienced for that?" Shikamaru asked, a hint of nerves coming through in his voice.

"How else are you going to get experience?" Asuma pointed out. "Now, given the urgency of the situation, I want you all to pack your equipment and meet me at the entrance to the village in 30 minutes, got that?"

Naruto practically ran out the door yelling "Yes Sensei!" as he went. Hinata nervously walked after him while Shikamaru moved at crawling speed towards the door.

"It's going to take you longer than 30 minutes if you keep that up" Asuma said. "Come on, this is what most Genin dream of!"

"Yeah and most Genin just want to prove themselves while I couldn't care less" Shikamaru moaned in reply. "Oh God, this is going to be so troublesome I just know it!"

Asuma began to follow his students but was stopped by Minato, who placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I need you to take this" Minato said quietly, as he gave Asuma a kunai with a yellow seal wrapped around the handle. "If things start to get risky I need you to throw it, I'll be there in no time at all."

Asuma assured him that he would before he left as well. Minato then stood alone in the middle of his office, re-reading the scroll to make sure that there wasn't some important detail he had missed. Or maybe he was hoping there was, so that he would be able to recall the team?

"_Naruto would probably just go alone anyway" _Minato thought. "_I can't believe I just did that, do I want more stress in my life or what?"_

* * *

The road to the Land of Waves was uneventful, which seemed to please everyone except Naruto who apparently couldn't wait to show off his skills. After a days travel, the team finally reached the small house on the edge of the river. Naruto was stunned to see the humble cottage for a variety of reasons. He'd grown up as the son of the Hokage in Konoha, meaning that he lived for one the wealthiest families in a very well off village. Seeing how the other half lived proved a real eye opener for him.

"So small" he gasped, as Asuma knocked on the door. "How can this house possibly fit so many people?"

"Not everyone needs a bedroom the size of a classroom you know" Shikamaru commented, which brought a quiet laugh from Hinata.

Eventually, an elderly man opened the door. He was quite a large man and in contrast to the well-kept men of Konoha, he didn't seem to be too fussed about his appearance, with his glasses at an angle over his face and his clothes appeared to be old and stained. Still, he was quite friendly as he invited them inside with a hearty grin.

"The other Shinobi have been waiting for you rather anxiously as you can imagine" he informed them. "They're just in the next room if you'd like to go through, we weren't sure what time you would get here so we left you some food as well."

Asuma thanked the man as Naruto walked through. Predictably, the kitchen was small, with just a small worktop to one side and then a table on the other. Kakashi, who appeared to be exhausted, was sat at the head of the table and he gave a weak wave. Shino gave the slightest of nods to acknowledge their presence, while Ino yelled out loudly. Sasuke and Naruto simply glared at each other.

"So, we're here to do what you couldn't eh?" Naruto said, as he took the seat next to Sasuke.

"Oh yeah, because you'd be able to take down one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist wouldn't you?" Sasuke replied sarcastically.

"Seven Swordsmen of the Mist? Which one was it?" Asuma asked.

"Zabuza Momochi, wielder of the Executioner's Blade" Kakashi answered. "I made a mistake initially in our battle and I got caught in a sphere of water under his control. I was eventually able to pull of a _Raikiri _and force my way out while he was distracted fighting the others with his clones but the battle took a lot out of me."

"So, if he didn't kill you then why is he still alive?" Asuma enquired. "Don't tell me that you spared someone like that!"

"Definitely not, I got intercepted as I went in for the kill" Kakashi said. "It appeared that he was killed by one of Kiri's ANBU who struck him with senbon. However, he didn't destroy the body where it lay, instead he took it somewhere else under the claim he was going to destroy it later."

Asuma nodded his head, apparently understanding what Kakashi meant. Naruto did his best to hide his confusion and decided to change the subject instead.

"So, what are we doing here then?"

"Stand around on a bridge all day waiting for an enemy that might not ever turn up" Ino replied, rolling her eyes as she did. "Trust me, this mission isn't as exciting as you might have been told."

"Missions aren't about excitement, as I've told you dozens of times," Kakashi groaned. "It's about getting the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible and to make sure that the whole team comes back in one piece. Whether you have fun or not is irrelevant."

They went on to further discuss the finer details of the mission, which frankly bored Naruto to tears. He spent the time daydreaming and finishing off the rest of the food while occasionally picking up details such as mention of civil unrest in the area. After a few minutes, a lady entered the room accompanied by what was presumably her young son.

"Hey Inari" Sasuke called out, giving the boy a wave that was nervously returned. Ino was also obviously familiar with the boy as she simply gave a beaming smile. Shino glanced over at him, which Naruto guessed was as much as he was willing to do.

"Once the bridge is built, we hope that we won't have to discuss these issues anymore" the lady sighed, as she collected the now empty dishes. "It's thanks to the kindness of people like you that we can even hope."

Tazuna grunted in agreement and raised his glass towards the Shinobi. Naruto confusingly looked towards Sasuke.

"What are they talking about?"

"I'm not that sure to be honest" Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it but the longer we've been here, the more upbeat they've become. Take that Inari kid for example; you should have heard him at first. He kept telling us that life is hopeless; we were all going to die. Then, Kakashi and I spoke with him a little and voila."

"All right, so I'll take the rookies to the bridge tomorrow so you can rest" Asuma declared, interrupting the conversation. "It'll be interesting to see how good your team is Kakashi, and how they compare to mine."

"A bit early to be making the comparisons don't you think?" Kakashi jokingly replied. "After all the real test will come in a few weeks."

The rest of the Genin appeared to be confused by what Kakashi meant but Naruto understood it perfectly. He grinned but decided that it was best for him to keep the information to himself for a while at least.

"What are you so happy about?" Sasuke asked, although it sounded more like an accusation than anything else.

"I'm just excited about how badly I'm going to outshine you on this mission" Naruto responded happily. While that was true, it was of course not what was causing his grin. "Just you wait Sasuke, just you wait."

* * *

"So, you really weren't exaggerating about this were you?"

Compared to the warm climate of Konoha, the early morning breeze in the Land of Waves made Naruto feel as if he was in arctic conditions. What made it worse was the mind numbingly boring day they had endured. It had consisted of accompanying Tazuna to the bridge and then sitting around and watching them work.

"If you're that bored you could always lend a hand" Asuma suggested. "I'm sure that the builders wouldn't mind the extra help."

It surprised absolutely no one that Naruto and Sasuke took this as a challenge to see who could do the most work. Ino, Shino and Hinata diligently helped out where they could, while Shikamaru lay down on a plank of wood.

"You know, it's not fair if you use clones!" Sasuke yelled, as one of Naruto's clones disappeared in a cloud of white smoke after receiving a solid hit from Sasuke.

"You're just jealous!" Naruto replied, as he made the seal and prepared to create another. However, a harrowing scream soon stopped him in his tracks. Dozens of workers ran past him and towards the other end of the bridge. It didn't take long to find the source of the disturbance.

Two figures walked towards the group menacingly. The one on the right, who was by far the taller of the two, was also the most terrifying. Bandages covered many sections of his body, including the bottom half of his face. His black eyes were dark and emotionless; a trait that Naruto had been told was the sign of a killer. However, the most noticeable thing about him was the giant steel sword strapped to his back. The ease with which he carried it was alarming, and made Naruto wonder about what else he was capable of.

The second was far smaller, similar in height to Naruto. Even though the face was covered by a mask, Naruto had already been informed about the boy that had been able to deceive even Kakashi. Even so, it was slightly unnerving to be confronted by someone so accomplished yet so young.

"Wait a minute," the taller one growled, as he approached the group. "You're not Kakashi!"

"Well done, you were able to state the obvious" Asuma taunted, as he stepped forward. "He already near enough killed you once, so he thought it was only polite that I get my chance, Zabuza."

Zabuza stared at Asuma intently, before giving the briefest of laughs.

"Asuma Sarutobi I take it?" Zabuza said. "Well, you're not the Copy Ninja but you have done enough to earn a place in my bingo book, so you'll do for now."

Asuma cautiously withdrew his trench knives from his pouch before turning to the Genin.

"All right, just as we planned" Asuma advised them. "Hinata, Shino you'll protect the bridge builder. Use your Byakugan and sensory bugs to full effect in order to make yourselves fully aware of an attack. The other four take on the younger one, I'll deal with Zabuza."

This time, Zabuza's laugh was much louder and more vindictive.

"Your confidence in defeating me is laughable in it's own right but your later assertion surpasses that" he said. "Those brats of yours have absolutely no chance against Haku. Go and show them what I mean boy."

"Yes Master Zabuza" Haku said obediently, his voice surprisingly light and soft. He stepped forward slowly taking out two kunai and adopting a commanding stance.

"So sure of yourself" Naruto said, drawing a kunai of his own. "Let's see you act like that when I'm through with you!"

Naruto took of running but before he could even take five steps he was stopped by Asuma's hand on his shoulder.

"Use your head Naruto!" he growled. "Your father and I taught you better than this. You already know this guys dangerous, you have three other Shinobi as backup so use them instead of rushing in by yourself when you don't have to."

"Sorry" Naruto mumbled, before turning to Shikamaru. "So, how do we do this?"

Shikamaru quickly scanned the situation before him, closely studying Haku's stance before looking at the people around him.

"He's good at close quarter combat, that much is obvious," Shikamaru pointed out, keeping his voice low. "It would be better if we had some ranged attacks but unfortunately Shino has to protect the bridge builder and mine won't work right now. We'll have to fight him up close, which means that Naruto and Sasuke should take the lead while Ino and I will act as support. Hold him off until the sun comes out from behind the clouds, we'll be able to finish him off then."

"Haku!" Zabuza suddenly yelled. "Stop letting them discuss tactics, just attack already."

"As you wish" Haku replied, before leaping towards the Genin. Naruto and Sasuke were the first to react and all three locked kunai. Sasuke then went on the offensive, pressuring Haku with a series of refined strikes.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

A swarm of Naruto clones approached Haku from multiple angles, just as Sasuke was able to lock his kunai with Haku's. With his free hand, Haku threw kunai to quickly deal with the multiple Naruto's. While this was happening, the real Naruto snuck in from behind and grabbed Haku's arm leaving him defenceless.

"Now!" Naruto yelled to Sasuke.

The two then each sent a powerful kick into Haku's stomach, knocking the boy back so far that he lay at Zabuza's feet. Naruto grinned in triumph as he listened to Ino's cheers.

"Haku" Zabuza growled. "Stop playing around with them, I've told you enough times. Deal with this trash as fast as possible."

Haku nodded as he casually stood up and brushed himself off. He seemed to be completely unaffected by the strike, even though it was delivered at point blank range.

"_There's just no way_," Naruto thought. "_He must be bluffing, he had to have felt something from that attack. Or has he been hiding his true abilities so far?_"

As if to prove Naruto correct, Haku lifted up his right hand and started making what appeared to be seals.

"One handed signs?" Asuma gasped. "I've never even heard of such a thing."

"_Makyo Hyosho."_

Naruto felt an icy cold wind envelop him and he raised his arms over his face to protect himself from it. After a few seconds, the wind mercifully stopped but once he opened his eyes, Naruto realised that he was now faced with a much more dangerous proposition.

"Incredible" Sasuke said, clearly having the same reaction.

The pair was trapped inside a small circle, surrounded by multiple mirrors made of ice. Haku's image was contained inside each of the mirrors and all made identical movements.

"You are now trapped by mirrors, you will never make it out alive" Haku said, although his voice didn't contain the same malice as his words.

"You think so?" Sasuke asked, seeming very confident. "I beg to differ, Ice isn't a good matchup against me."

Naruto stared at Sasuke with some scepticism but he heard Shikamaru's yells before he could ask further.

"Naruto, use your wind style jutsu!" he said. "Combine with Sasuke to strengthen his attack, you should be able to melt his ice quicker."

Even though it annoyed Naruto to think that he would only be assisting Sasuke, he knew that Shikamaru was right. With only a small amount of reluctance, he made the required seals and made sure to stay in time with Sasuke.

"_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"_

"_Futon: Shinkuha!"_

The resulting flame was enormous, enough to envelop half of Haku's mirrors. The heat radiating from them was intense; Naruto hadn't felt anything like it before. However, as he continued to power his jutsu he made a horrible discovery.

"_It's not working, none of those mirrors even look like melting."_

Eventually, he ran out of breath and had to stop his jutsu. Sasuke did the same a couple of seconds later and both had to bend over to catch their breath.

"My technique is far stronger than your jutsu" Haku informed them, as he extended his arm backwards. "My kekkei genkai can't be defeated!"

He then forced his arms forwards and senbon flew all around them. The razor sharp needles cut into Naruto's skin, although he noticed that none of them actually stuck into him or struck any vital organs. After the assault had finished, he looked over at Sasuke who had been given the same treatment.

"Why do you toy with us?" Naruto demanded to know. "There's no way you could miss every single vital spot while throwing that many weapons at once unless you were doing so on purpose. Do you take us that lightly?"

Haku simply stared at Naruto for a moment, as if he was trying to think of a response.

"That's a good analysis, you clearly think like a Shinobi" Haku commented. "However, your logic is not complete. I did not avoid killing you because I take you lightly. I merely want to see how much of this torture a person can take."

Another wave of senbon followed the completion of the sentence, bringing with it another lashing of extreme pain. Naruto fell to his knees, blood dripping from his arms and face.

"_What is this monster?"_

* * *

**A/N: The following three sections take place simultaneously**

Asuma stood opposite Zabuza, his arms still by his side. Despite trying not to, he couldn't stop himself from glancing over at the mirror structure. The kunai Minato gave to him felt heavy in his pouch.

"_No, not yet. I'll give Naruto more of a chance to figure this out on his own."_

"You figuring it out then?" Zabuza chuckled. "Those two are about to die and then Haku will finish off the rest. Luckily you won't have to see it, you'll be a cold corpse by the time that happens."

"Well, if you're so confident of that, why don't you attack me then?"

Zabuza's cheeks rose slightly, which seemed to indicate a smile. He then extended one arm upwards while raising the other only slightly. A small amount of mist began to appear around him and started to spread outwards. Not wasting any more time, Asuma ran forwards and drove his trench knives towards Zabuza's throat. The former Kiri Shinobi was able to avoid the strike but only just.

"Kakashi already informed me about your jutsu, so I don't intend to give you the time to use it" Asuma said.

"Fine, there's more than one way to kill you anyway" Zabuza grunted, pointing his sword at Asuma.

Zabuza's speed stunned Asuma, who had expected that there would be more of a drawback from the weight of the sword. He blocked Zabuza's downward thrust by crossing his knives, although the edge of the blade was closer to his body than he would have liked.

He then pushed Zabuza back and engaged in a taijutsu brawl. The battle was intense, Zabuza's movements were not as conventional as he had expected but Asuma's style did give him an advantage. Zabuza aimed a swipe at Asuma's torso but it was dodged. Asuma then swung his knife past Zabuza's face, narrowly missing him. A couple of seconds later, the bandages fell away revealing his mouth and fanged teeth. Blood trickled down his face, a cut appearing on his cheek.

"Enhancing the knives with your element eh? Not bad" Zabuza commented. "Unfortunately for you, I don't fall for the same trick twice. You really should have killed me with that attack."

Asuma prepared to attack again but stopped dead in his tracks. Foul chakra had entered the air, potent enough to blur his senses. He knew that chakra; he had felt it once before years ago.

"_The Kyuubi? Here? How could that be possible?"_

He looked around, trying to locate the beast. It didn't make any sense; the Fourth Hokage said that he had sealed the beast.

It was then that he noticed that the mirrors were melting, with an orange chakra protruding from the centre. Everything clicked into place in Asuma's mind, all the questions he had from that night were being answered.

"_So, it was Naruto all along" _Asuma realised. "_Judging by the level of that chakra, the seal has only weakened slightly rather than completely broke. Still, now is the time to use it."_

Asuma went to reach for his weapons pouch, but found nothing but thin air. He examined his belt and saw that the leather was ripped.

"_He must have cut it when he swiped me before! Damn it."_

"Sorry, but I don't have the time to play around anymore" Asuma told Zabuza, who had also paused in terror at the powerful chakra. "I need to finish you off now!"

He slit his thumb with one of the knives and drew blood. He quickly made seals and then slapped the ground.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu."_

After the inevitable white fog had cleared, Asuma was left standing side by side with a giant, white furred monkey.

"Finally decided to summon me, eh Asuma?" Enma growled.

"No time for catch ups, we need to finish this now!" Asuma said. "Transform and we can end this."

Enma did as he was told and Asuma was left with a giant black pole, which made Zabuza's blade seem small by comparison. He slightly tapped the ground with the pole and cracked the concrete below.

"Goodbye, Zabuza!"

* * *

Shikamaru could hear the sounds of clashing metal and fighting inside the icy confinements. He felt so useless being stuck outside, although he also knew that he wouldn't be of much assistance if he were in the midst of the fight either.

"What do we do?" Ino asked. "Sasuke is the only one with any fire techniques, and even he was useless against this. How can you even make Ice resistant to fire anyway?"

Ino's constant questioning was beginning to grate but he didn't let it show. Truth be told, he actually kind of liked being seen as the smart one of the group and not just because it often allowed him to shirk the physical work. Which was why it was so frustrating to be so confused.

"Kekkei genkai are strange techniques" Shikamaru replied slowly. "Using multiple chakra natures, they can fuse them to create something new. Even so, this is still technically a nature transformation, so the usual rules of nature should apply."

"Whatever it is, it must take a lot of chakra to keep this up. Maybe we should hope that they can win a battle of attrition?" Ino suggested.

"_Chakra! That's it!"_

"Ino, go and get Hinata and bring her here right now!" Shikamaru instructed.

"But what about the bridge builder?" Ino asked.

"The only two threats are currently engaged in battle, so there guarding against nothing," Shikamaru pointed out. "Besides, we need her here right away, she's the key to breaking this jutsu."

* * *

"What is your reason for living, Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto was struggling to control his breathing, as he fell to the floor once again. Almost every part of his body was covered in scratches, and his constant use of Kage Bunshin was quickly depleting his chakra. They had been able to figure out that Haku was only inside one mirror and the rest were merely reflections. However, the tactic of Naruto's clones attacking the mirrors wasn't working out too well and Haku's constant questioning was just making everything worse.

"Just shut up!" Naruto cried out.

"Without a reason for living, you can never fulfil your potential" Haku said. "You need something or someone to fight for. Once you have that, no one can stop you. For that is what I have, which is why you can not defeat me."

Haku threw another batch of senbon, but this time they were deflected by Sasuke's Shiruken.

"I can see you" Sasuke rasped. "Naruto, attack with your clones again. I can get him now."

Naruto obliged, creating more clones and sending them towards the various mirrors. During his initial attack, it didn't seem like anything had changed. But, when he landed and looked at Haku through the mirrors, he noticed that there was a very sizeable cut in his right leg.

"I don't know whether it's because my eyes are getting quicker or if he's getting slower but I can follow him now" Sasuke informed him.

Naruto felt a few pangs of jealously but at that time it was difficult to elaborate on them. It was a life or death situation and he knew that it wasn't the time for a rivalry. He didn't even think to mention the faint redness of Sasuke's eyes.

"Can you do it one more time?" Sasuke asked.

Before Naruto could reply, the mirror just behind Sasuke began to crack. All three of the boys turned, amazed at what was happening. Soon, more cracks began to appear until it shattered completely. Standing behind it was Shikamaru and Hinata, her palm extended and her Byakugan active.

"Impossible, how did you-"

"The strength of your mirrors relies on your chakra right? As does the speed you can move between them" Shikamaru began. "I figured that your chakra ran through the mirrors and what better way to deal with it than the Hyuga's taijutsu?"

After a few seconds of staring, Haku yelled out angrily and threw an incredible amount of senbon at the pair. Only Sasuke was able to react, throwing himself between the deadly needles and their target. Several of them collided with his torso and he simply fell backwards with his arms spread out.

Naruto wasn't sure how to react at first. They had been winning; they were on top of the battle. It was like it was all some horrible dream, the sight of Sasuke's limp body, and the blood staining the ground and Ino's screams of horror.

That suddenly changed, as he felt a rising anger inside. How dare he cause so much pain, how dare he treat life and death so casually. He wanted to revenge, he wanted to kill him, to see his body hit the floor. The anger swelled up inside of him to the point that he could feel its horrible warmth. Incensed, Naruto screamed out in fury. He didn't notice how the mirrors around him had vanished, but frankly he didn't care either. All he saw was his target; his prey. In an instant he was on him, smashing his fists into the enemies body. He pounded away, no thought for anything else except expelling his anger on the source. He aimed for the face, cracking the mask in one fell swoop. He pulled his arm back for one final attack-

But then hesitated. The face behind the mask was not what he had expected at all. He seemed so peaceful, so innocent. It was not the face of a hard faced killer, his eyes seemed far too pure. The sunlight reflected off his tears, which only added to this effect.

"I'm sorry" Haku stuttered through his tears. "I have failed you, failed in my purpose to serve the one I cared about. Master Zabuza, I'm so sorry."

"_None of this was him" _Naruto thought. "_That bastard Zabuza, he was manipulated. He only does whatever is needed to satisfy his supposed master. But he still killed Sasuke; I can't let him get away with it. What do I do?"_

"You should kill me," Haku stated miserably. "It's only fitting after all, I killed your friend. This is the only way I can be of any use to anyone now."

Before Naruto could act on these words, he heard yet another chilling cry. He looked in the distance to see Zabuza fall at Asuma's feet, a large pole just above his body.

"Zabuza?" Haku whispered. "No, it can't be. Zabuza!"

He made an attempt to move, but was foiled. In fact, he wasn't able to move any part of his body. Naruto instinctively looked to the ground; pretty sure he knew what had happened.

"You've been caught in my shadow possession since the sun came out" Shikamaru stated. "Judging by those clouds, that sun isn't going to be leaving any time either, you're stuck."

Haku's tear flowed down his cheeks and he looked completely hopeless. Soon though, his facial expression changed. The tears vanished and were replaced with a look of anger. He looked up and Shikamaru and appeared to be attempting to move his arm. Shikamaru closed his eyes and squeezed his fingers tighter in response.

"The more I fight, the more chakra you have to use" Haku stated, his voice losing it's soft tone and replaced with a deeper rasp. "Soon enough, you won't be able to hold me."

That prediction came true much earlier than expected as mere moments later the shadow broke and Haku was free. Kunai drawn, he launched himself towards Asuma, who was clearly struggling after his battle. Naruto called out a warning for his Sensei, but even so he barely had time to react to the attack.

Luckily for Asuma, he didn't have to react. A stray foot came from nowhere to kick Haku out of the way. The attack was Kakashi's and he moved in front of his fellow Jonin.

"Give it up, it's over" Kakashi said to the distressed boy.

Haku stared over at Zabuza's body, resolutely refusing to cry. He then turned his attention back to Kakashi.

"This isn't the last you'll hear of me," he said, as he made hand seals. Kakashi attempted to make an interception, but he was too late. Haku dissolved into a small amount of ice and disappeared into the water below the bridge.

"He's alive!"

Naruto, who had been watching the whole thing, spun around to see Ino cradling Sasuke's head. His eyes slowly opened and Naruto felt a wave of relief sweep over him. Of course, he wasn't willing to tell Sasuke that.

"About time you woke up" Naruto called out. "Here I thought you were pulling a Shikamaru on us."

That brought a laugh from everyone present, including Kakashi who had just walked over from the other battle. Asuma limped over just after him, his clothes slightly stained with blood and a newly lit cigarette in his mouth.

"See what happens when you work together?"

Naruto shook his head slightly, which brought a grunt of surprise from his Sensei.

"He could have killed us at any time" Naruto said. "Yet he chose not to. Despite what he said, I don't think he really had what it took to be a killer. "

Asuma sighed, taking another drag of his cigarette before talking again.

"Maybe not but I have a feeling that's going to change."

"Why's that?" Naruto enquired, as he watched Sasuke be helped onto his feet by Kakashi and Shino bring Tazuna over to celebrate.

"Unfortunately, this is one of the most important lessons that I can teach you about the Shinobi world" Asuma began his reply. "When someone learns to love they also run the risk of hatred and most often that is fuelled by revenge. I'm afraid that you're going to see how revenge can really effect someone when we meet that boy again."

**A/N: I originally wasn't going to include the Land of Waves and just skip straight ahead but I know most people love it and would have wanted to see it, so I tried to do this little variation on it to keep it somewhat different from canon. I considered splitting it into two chapters, but I really wanted to get to the next part, so that's why this might seem a little brief. Also, I didn't have chance to properly proof read it, all I've done is put it through a spell check so if there's a few mistakes I can only apologise. I'll check through it properly when I next get a chance. **

**Next chapter: Only Cheats Prosper**


	8. Only Cheats Prosper

Chapter 8: Only Cheats Prosper

Minato was uncharacteristically late to the meeting that morning, for the first time in months he had allowed himself to indulge in some much needed sleep. The stresses of the law few months had begun to take its toll and he felt he had earned his extra hour in bed. Although, he had already made a note not to make a habit out of it, lateness was something that was pet peeve of his, even after associating with Kakashi for so long.

When he entered the room, there was a lot of chatter and excitement in the air. This wasn't surprising at all; Minato had expected that they would have figured out what was going on. The Chunin exams were always an exciting event, especially when it was being held in your own country. The people of Konoha were always especially proud of their competitors, with memories such as a 6-year-old Kakashi stunning the 5 great nations still talked about years later.

Minato walked to the front of the room, looking over at the expectant faces of the Jonin. He sat down and momentarily shuffled the papers in front of him. He took his work seriously, but sometimes he did like to have a joke as well.

"So, first order of business" Minato said, keeping his voice as bland as he could. "We've ordered some new headbands recently and according to-"

"Oh come on Minato, just tell us what we want to hear!" Inoichi yelled out from the back of the room. "Then you can excite us with the headbands later!"

Everyone laughed, although they still looked over at Minato expectantly. He made an overly dramatic sigh, before finally divulging the information they had been waiting for.

"As I'm sure you've all guessed, Konoha will be hosting the Chunin Exams" Minato said, which brought a bit of a cheer from the group. "The first exam will begin one week from today."

"One week?" Kurenai gasped. "That's not a lot of time to prepare."

"That's true, but we all know how many unexpected things happen in the world of the Shinobi" Minato pointed out. "Besides, you've had enough time to assess your Genin and you should all know by now if your students has what it takes to participate. Now, all of the Genin that have completed the required amount of missions will automatically be offered the chance to participate. The three rookie teams will only be given this privilege if nominated by their Jonin instructor. So, will the three of you please step forward now?"

The next few minutes went just as Minato had suspected they would. He asked each of Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma in turn to respond and each of them nominated their entire team for participation. This re-started the whispering amongst the group, although Minato couldn't blame them for being shocked. Just one rookie team participating in the exams was rare; having three was unheard of.

"Lord Hokage, I must protest!" Iruka said, stepping forward. "Listen, I taught all three of these teams in the Academy and I know what they're capable of. This is just too early for them; it's unfair to place them in such an environment so soon. It would be far better to have them wait a year."

Minato noted Gai nodding enthusiastically behind Iruka as he spoke and he found himself supressing the urge to laugh. He knew that Gai wouldn't be pleased about his rival's students entering a whole year ahead of his own. As for Iruka, it was rather heart-warming to see how much he cared for his former students, how passionately he spoke about their wellbeing. Still, he knew he would have to step in before Kakashi did.

"You are of course entitled to your opinion Iruka, but the fact is that you do not know of their progress since they left you" Minato commented. "I trust the judgement of the three instructors and I think you should as well. You should just put your faith in those kids; I think you'll find that you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Minato could tell that Iruka wasn't completely satisfied with the response, but he made a weak smile and retreated nevertheless. He noticed Kakashi looking over at the young Academy teacher and suspected that he would find a way to ease his fears.

"Due to the time restrictions, I'll have to ask you to take the application forms placed at the front and have the Genin sign them immediately" Minato said. "Return them to me as soon as possible. You are all dismissed."

Everyone began to filter out of the room, apart from Asuma who was purposely hanging back once again. Minato had to wonder what he wanted to talk about this time, he'd assumed that the tensions that had arisen after the Land of Waves mission had subsided when he had apologized a couple of days before.

"I wanted to hand this back to you" Asuma announced, holding out the kunai Minato had entrusted to him a few weeks before. "I figured that, once Naruto passed the exams, I won't be the one going on missions with him anymore."

Minato raised his eyebrows at the explanation.

"You have that much confidence in my son?"

"Well, not just Naruto, I'm completely confident that all three of them will be wearing those flack jackets when all is said and done" Asuma said defiantly. "It's strange you know, I was never really that close to my Genin team. They were just two other guys; I just saw them as temporary teammates. These guys though, they get each other. They care for each other and it motivates them to get stronger, even Shikamaru has put in something resembling effort recently."

Minato couldn't help but grin as Asuma spoke, each word like music to his ears.

"Anyway, enough of my babbling, if I don't get these to the team, there'll be no exam for them anyway!"

Asuma grabbed the application forms and waved goodbye as he went out of the door. Minato was about to follow him, and go home to Kushina to tell her what he had just heard, but stopped when he heard a sound behind him.

"Camouflage jutsu I presume?" Minato asked, knowing whom the person was without even looking. "I should have realised, I still have nightmares over how you forced me to watch as you utilised that particular skill for research."

"Of all the things I tried to teach you, that was the one thing you never picked up" Jiraiya chuckled. "Guess I'll have to try my luck with Naruto to see if I can get it right second time around."

The conversation carried on with that tone for several minutes, before moving on to more serious business.

"So, you didn't tell them about Kumo and Iwa?"

Minato shifted uncomfortably at the question. In truth, he had been waiting for the right opportunity to break the news but in the end, he felt that no such opportunity presented itself.

"I thought that they could at least have the excitement for the exams for a little while" Minato answered slowly. "The news that both of those villages have pulled out of this exam would only increase their worry and they don't need that right now. I will tell them soon, heck they'll probably figure it out themselves first."

"Have you had any more contact with them about it?"

Minato shook his head regretfully.

"Onoki has always been unresponsive anyway, he's never liked me since I took this post" Minato replied. "As for A, his contact has been lessening for years now, his letters became far shorter and took longer to arrive. It seems that he wants to cut of all ties with us now."

Minato didn't even want to think of what that could possibly lead to, of all the possible permutations not many of them would give a result. Jiraiya seemed to pick up on this, and looked to change the topic again.

"It'll be strange watching another small blonde kid in the Chunin exams again" he commented. "I just hope he doesn't cause as much uproar as the last one."

Minato perked up at this.

"Well, that wasn't really my fault" Minato pointed out. "They said we had to steal the scroll from that Chunin as fast as we could, I'm not to blame if they happened to pick someone who was slower than me."

They both laughed as they remembered the ten-minute argument Jiraiya had with the exam proctor, who was completely convinced that Minato had somehow cheated, even though he couldn't prove how that was possible.

"Does this mean that you're going to stay for the exams?" Minato asked hopefully.

"More or less" Jiraiya replied. "I'll probably have to duck out for the month break between the second and final exam, but I'll be here more than usual. I'm hitting a bit of a wall with my information gathering as of late, the Akatsuki are possibly the most mysterious outfit I've ever gone after and that's also making Orochimaru tough to follow."

The very thought of an organisation that even Jiraiya couldn't find information on made the hair on the back of Minato's neck stand on end and filled him with panic. Just what were they after and how will he stop them?

* * *

"Wonder where Asuma Sensei was today?"

Naruto, Shikamaru and Hinata were walking back from the training field, after deciding that they had waited long enough for their Sensei to show up. Of course, it had been Naruto's idea to leave early after getting frustrated.

"I'll finish that training without him anyway" Naruto insisted.

"Yeah, because it's been going so well so far hasn't it?" Shikamaru snorted. "Or are you going to pretend that you haven't spent the past week repeatedly saying that it's impossible?"

Naruto was going to retort, but he knew that Shikamaru had a point. Ever since he had managed to convince Asuma to begin his Futon training to master his element, he had experienced nothing but frustration. He had hoped to be able to channel the nature through the trench knives by the end of the weeks but despite the fact that Asuma had given him smaller and lighter knives to use, he had gotten nowhere.

"It's not like you've gotten much stronger recently either" Naruto snapped back.

"Yeah, but the difference is I don't care" Shikamaru said. "Actually, Hinata is probably the only one who's done some training and actually got something out of it."

"Oh yeah, you've been training with that guy haven't you?" Naruto said, remembering back to when he and Shikamaru had seen her with a longhaired Hyuga who looked a little older than them. "Who was he again?"

"My cousin" Hinata said, as usual her voice barely above a whisper. "He's a little enthusiastic though, I don't think I'm keeping up as much as I should be."

Naruto exchanged a meaningful glance with Shikamaru. They were both fully aware of the difficulties that Hinata faced with her father but Naruto knew that it was best not to interfere. Being son of the Hokage he learned a few things and one of them was to not meddle with the business of historic clans like the Hyuga.

They carried on walking and talking for a couple of minutes and ended up at the gate to the village. Having grown up in such a busy village, Naruto didn't usually look at the coming and goings of the village when he walked past the gate. However, that day something drew his eye. He noticed the large group of Shinobi wearing grey gear and in particular the red headed boy at the front.

"I knew it!" Naruto yelled, to his teammates' confusion.

He then ran over to the approaching Shinobi, his finger extended and pointing straight at the youngest of the group.

"Gaara, you're here for the Chunin exams aren't you?" he screamed excitedly. "I knew they were coming up, I just knew it!"

As he usually was whenever confronted with the hyperactive Naruto, the more quiet and reserved Gaara was a little unsure of how he should react. They hadn't seen each other for a year or so and Naruto could tell it had made a difference. He had always been slightly taller than Gaara but now they seemed to be the same height. He was dressed in all red robes, which matched his hair, and had a bigger gourd strapped to his back. He appeared to have filled out a little more as well, meaning he didn't look as physically weak as he once did. Still, there was one thing that Naruto wanted to test out.

"Think fast!" he said, as he threw a punch. Predictably, the sand quickly escaped from the gourd and blocked Naruto's fist. To his credit, Gaara didn't seem fazed by the attempted attack, almost as if he expected Naruto to do it. Although, that didn't stop what was about to happen next.

"Hey! What have I told you about doing that?"

Naruto had learned that the one downside to Gaara is that wherever he went his siblings were bound to follow. This time, it had been Kankuro that had tried to stamp his "authority" on Naruto. It wasn't that they were cruel, just incredibly overprotective despite the fact that Gaara was far stronger than both of them. Temari simply scowled at him, although Naruto knew that if he tried something like that again, he'd probably have to face the wrath of the giant fan she carried on her back.

"Now now, please try to be nice to each other."

The first time Naruto had seen Yashamaru he had been convinced that he was a woman. There was still an element of doubt in the back of his mind but he let it go, especially as Gaara was particularly defensive when it came to his uncle. He was a nice guy though, even more so when compared with the Kazekage, who could be quite harsh and intimidating.

"It's just some harmless fun" Temari reassured her uncle, before turning back to Naruto. "So, are you entering the exams as well?"

"You bet I am!" Naruto exclaimed, despite the fact that he hadn't even been officially told about the exams yet. "Here's the rest of my team as well!"

Naruto called out to Shikamaru and Hinata, who were slowly making their way over to him. He began making introductions, but was interrupted by the arrival of Asuma.

"Oh, so I guess you don't need me to tell you about these then?" Asuma said, as he pulled out the three forms.

Naruto practically jumped around in delight, while Shikamaru and Hinata seemed unsure of how to react.

"All right Asuma Sensei, that settles it!" Naruto declared. "Let's go, I need to get this training finished in a week!"

* * *

The next week seemed to drag in Naruto's mind. Each day more and more Genin filtered through the village gates, although he did notice that none of them bore the Kumo or Iwa headbands. Still, that thought was relegated to the back of his mind as "something Dad has to deal with" and he concentrated on his training. Sadly, despite many hours in the training field with Asuma, he made no more progress with his Futon training. This lead to a rather nervous feeling on the morning of the exams. He simply sat at the table, his breakfast remaining uneaten in front of him and a pair of trench knives in his hands.

He did notice his parents walk into the room and he only acknowledged them with an anxious glance. His excitement over the exams had quickly evaporated over the course of the morning; so much so that he was didn't even bother concealing it as he usually would.

Kushina was the first to walk over. Taking the seat next to him, she wrapped her arms around her son and gave him a comforting peck on the forehead and a hug only a mother could give. Instantly, he could feel his worries begin to fade slightly. She had done this as long as he could remember, he never felt worried or scared in his mothers arms, as if he was protected by some kind of barrier.

Minato knelt down in front of him, so their eyes were roughly on the same level. He smiled, gave a wink and ruffled Naruto's hair playfully.

"Just remember, no matter how it goes today, we're both so proud of you" he said, as he reached behind his back. "I've got something for you as well."

He pulled out one of his kunai; the type Naruto had seen hundreds of times over the years. The special shape of the blade had always intrigued him but he had never been allowed to use one because of their importance.

"Take a quick look at the seal, you'll see it's a little different to the rest."

Naruto hadn't noticed it at first but instead of the usual text that marked Minato's kunai, there was a message wrapped around the handle.

"_We will always believe in you."_

"I know you always say that you don't like this kind of stuff, but it's not everyday that your son takes the Chunin Exams is it?" Kushina whispered in his ear, as she smiled down proudly at her son.

"Thankyou" Naruto responded, doing his best to maintain his composure and keep up the cool façade he'd constructed.

"Just make sure you don't lose it" Minato chuckled. "That kunai is special in more ways than one, hopefully you'll find that out as the exams go on."

The touching family moment was ended with a knock on the door. The relatively long pause between each of the dull knocks let Naruto know who it was.

"I guess that's Shikamaru then" Naruto said, as he slowly got up from his seat. "This is it, time to go."

He did a quick check to make sure that he had everything he'd need with him. After stalling for as long as possible he made his way to the door, turning around to look back at his parents, who were stood side by side, arms around each other and staring back at him caringly.

No more words needed to be said, especially with that kunai now resting in the pouch attached to his hip. Filled with his parents pride and love, he opened the door and stepped outside, ready to face whatever challenge lay ahead.

* * *

It seemed to take Naruto so long to open the door. Hinata initially wondered whether Shikamaru had knocked too quietly, after all his laziness tended to translate into everything he did, including something as simple as knocking on the door. Yet, she didn't say anything. She never did. She didn't know why though, both Naruto and Shikamaru were friendly enough and always encouraged her to speak out about things. She just didn't have the confidence, even when she was around people she knew very well.

Finally, Naruto opened the door with a huge grin on his face. It wasn't a surprise to Hinata; Naruto was always filled with self-confidence, sometimes to the point that it became a tad grating. Still, it was nice to have that balance in the team, with Shikamaru being the way he is and Hinata herself filled with worry and self-doubt, a charismatic Naruto was a must.

"So, you guys ready or what?" Naruto said, as he practically skipped past them and took off towards the academy building, where the first exam was scheduled to take place.

Hinata and Shikamaru went after him, although neither showed anywhere close to the same level of enthusiasm. Sometimes, Hinata had to wonder if Naruto's attitude was all just an act, his way of shielding his insecurities from the world. In fact, she was almost positive that it was. Before, back in the academy, she had only thought of Naruto as an arrogant brat, a kid that took advantage of his parents esteemed positions like so many others. Yet, as she got to know him a little more as a member of Team 10, she saw that he could be kind and considerate and that his behaviour wasn't quite as annoying as it was before.

"You sure your ready for this Hinata?" Shikamaru asked, as they approached the exam room.

Hinata simply nodded her head as enthusiastically as she could. She'd got a good grasp of Shikamaru and knew that, while his concern may have been genuine, his real motive was to try to get out of the exams if he could.

"Of course she's ready Shikamaru, we're all going to kick ass in these exams!" Naruto declared.

"That's what I like to hear!"

As the three of them turned the corner, Asuma, who was stood next to the door, met them. He was chewing his fingernails, probably itching for the cigarette that he was not allowed to smoke indoors. Asuma had been another that had gone against Hinata's initial impression, although it was in the best way possible. Despite his intimidating appearance and gruff voice, he was a very patient and caring Sensei, finding a balance between pushing Hinata as far as she could go and being able to encourage her at the same time. Unlike the Academy teachers, who had too many students to be able to focus enough on each individual, she felt like she had a connection with him.

"That's right Asuma Sensei, just you watch, we won't be your students much longer!" Naruto yelled out, giving Asuma a high five.

"I'm not sure how to react to your excitement over that" Asuma joked. "So, how about you two?"

Shikamaru gave a typical response, merely saying, "I guess so" under his breath. Hinata responded with a meek "yes" which was true all told. Just because she wasn't as vocal about things as Naruto didn't mean that she had no confidence at all.

"Well that's great and for what it's worth I believe in you all" Asuma said proudly. "Just remember everything you've learned, work as a team and no one will be able to stop you. Oh yeah and as an added incentive, I have a bet with Kakashi so you can't let me down!"

The last line caused all three of them to laugh, even Shikamaru who usually rolled his eyes at jokes. They all then walked into the next room clutching their admission forms tightly, buoyed by their Sensei's praise.

However, as soon as Hinata stepped into the room, her confidence completely plummeted. The room, which was quite large, was absolutely crammed with Genin. If the sheer number wasn't frightening enough, the other competitors themselves were enough to make her feel ill. Everywhere she looked there were various weapons being sharpened, masked figures staring at her and Shinobi twice her size flexing their huge muscles. She felt completely out of her depth.

"Well then, look who finally turned up."

Kiba stepped forward, with his trusty dog Akamaru resting on the top of his head and his teammates, Choji and Sakura, standing either side of him. Judging by his line of sight, it appeared that he was talking to Naruto in particular.

"Oh, were you waiting for me Kiba? Or maybe you were hoping that I wouldn't walk in, then you'd maybe have half a chance" Naruto sniggered. "Surely you haven't forgotten what happened at the Academy whenever we fought."

"Hang on to the past all you want Naruto, I'm stronger than you now and I'll prove it!" Kiba declared angrily. "In fact, I'll prove that I'm stronger than everyone here."

Kiba's shouting appeared to attract attention and Hinata noticed that several other teams were now staring in their direction. It wasn't a surprise, when they walked in the room it was almost silent apart from some very low and nervous chatter.

"That's quite the statement Kiba" Sasuke said, his team having just walked in. "Lets hope you can back it up, or it'll get pretty embarrassing."

Over the next few minutes, the three teams split in the way they usually did. The boys had their own conversation and three girls were left with each other. To make things worse, the two girls Hinata was left with were Sakura and Ino. It wasn't that she didn't like them, they were overall nice girls and hadn't shown her anything but kindness in the past. It was just that they liked to gossip and judge others behind their backs, something Hinata found difficult to join in with. It also made her wonder if they spoke about her like that when she wasn't around.

"You two are so lucky" Sakura moaned, as she tried to comb more of her hair to cover her forehead. "You get to be on the same team as Sasuke and Naruto, I'm stuck with Kiba and Choji."

"Looks like you and your forehead are losers again" Ino sniggered, to Sakura's annoyance and Hinata's confusion. "It is a pretty cool deal though, Sasuke's so awesome and dreamy too. It even makes up for having to be around Shino all the time. So Hinata, what's it like being with Naruto? Is it as awesome as I could imagine?"

Hinata didn't know what to say to that. Despite what every other girl in the Academy thought, she just didn't like Naruto in that way. Sure, being on the same team made her closer to him and she even saw him as a friend. There was just nothing there that made her like him romantically; it took more than good looks and prestige for her to like a boy in that way.

"Lady Hinata!"

Usually, Hinata would have been grateful to anyone that saved her from that conversation. However, this time she was faced with an even worse prospect, her cousin Neji. She understood the complex way of the Hyuga clan and that it was his job to look out for her, but she hated just how serious he was about it. He was around all of the time, even taking it upon himself to help train her in Gentle Fist. It was sweet how dedicated he was and how much he cared but she just wanted some peace from him once in a while. Heck, even her father thought that Neji could be a little full on.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh no, it's fine" Hinata said quickly, worried about the provocative looks he was getting from Ino and Sakura. "You should just concentrate on your own team, after all we're supposed to be competing against each other in these exams."

Neji shook his head resiliently.

"Despite their importance, these exams do not negate my duties towards you" Neji pointed out. "Although, you are right that I should be getting back. Remember, if you need anything I will still assist you."

With that, Neji walked away, leaving Sakura and Ino pining after him.

"Who was that?" Ino asked desperately. "He was so-"

"Attention!"

Ino was cut off by a large roar from the front of the room. Hinata hadn't noticed the older Shinobi walk out, although she supposed that was probably the point, to show how quiet they could be.

"My name is Ibiki Morino and I will be the Proctor of the First Exam."

Hinata could feel her heart practically smashing into her chest. Ibiki made the other Genin look like first year academy students in comparison. He was very tall and dressed in dark robes. His muscular physique, combined with the scars on his face and black bandana on his head, made him incredibly frightening. Even his eyes were menacing, his penetrating stare brining on a sense of nervousness.

"Now then, each of you will be given a number" Ibiki began his explanation. "That number will correspond with what desk you will be sitting at in the exam room."

"Why are we sitting at desks?" someone shouted out.

"Because it would be difficult to perform a written exam standing up now wouldn't it?" Ibiki said, as he pulled out a huge stack of papers from behind his back.

A huge groan went up around the room. Hinata moaned internally, even though she wasn't completely terrible at written exams she still didn't like the thought of it.

It took around ten minutes for everyone to take their number and find their seats. Hinata was sat by herself off to the right of the room, with Shikamaru sat a few seats behind Naruto on the far left. Despite the fact that they weren't even allowed to communicate in the exam anyway, this still made her feel rather alone.

"Now, listen up everyone, I'm only going to explain this once!" Ibiki barked at the Genin. "These are the rules of the First Exam!"

* * *

On the other side of the village, Minato found himself at yet another council meeting. While he still didn't exactly look forward to them, the meetings had become far more bearable ever since Danzo had left the village, especially in the last couple of years when Fugaku had lightened up just a tad.

"Still no word from the Land of Lightning then?" Koharu asked, although judging by her tone Minato could tell that she already suspected the answer.

"Nothing, they didn't even give an explanation for why they were pulling their Genin out" Minato sighed. "I think the best thing we can do now is not to put any pressure on. It's a delicate situation, as long as we don't act aggressively there's no excuse for the Raikage to act aggressively in return."

"Sounds like a good idea" Homura said, nodding in agreement. "A likes to act the victim, it's best not to encourage him. There's not really a lot we can do other that not increase the tension."

Minato nodded slowly as he glanced over at Fugaku, who was unusually quiet. He noticed that he was glancing up at the clock every few minutes and looked slightly anxious.

"Fugaku, do you have any more news?" Minato asked.

Fugaku took a second to snap himself out of the trancelike state he had been in before he answered Minato. He quickly shuffled through an assortment of documents in front of him as he spoke.

"Itachi's team arrived back this morning," he said, before he seemed to find the paper he was looking for. "They followed up on the lead provided by Master Jiraiya but unfortunately, they found no trace of Danzo at the supposed hideout."

"Well, it was always a long shot" Minato pointed out, trying to defend Jiraiya from any possible accusations. "Still, I'd appreciate if Itachi could submit a written report."

"He's doing it as we speak" Fugaku replied, before glancing at the clock once again.

Minato grinned as he realised what Fugaku was doing.

"The exam started about twenty minutes ago," he said. "Well, that's as long as everyone did as they were told. I would suspect that they did, nobody crosses Ibiki and gets away with it."

"Ibiki? He's the Proctor for the exam?" Fugaku asked, sounding appalled at the very idea.

"Hey, he's not as bad as his reputation makes it seem" Minato chuckled. 'Okay, maybe when he's interrogating suspects he is. However, he's quite fair when it comes to the exams, he told me what he's up to and I think it's suitable."

"Well I would hope so" Fugaku said. "I'll be making a complaint if I think what he's doing in inappropriate."

Minato shook his head and laughed once more; although he made it obvious that it was all in good nature.

"I wouldn't worry about Sasuke if I were you" Minato commented. "This test is very suitable for him with those eyes of his."

* * *

Shikamaru yawned loudly, loud enough to attract some attention from nearby students. Tests like these had always been boring to him; there was no stimulation in the questions. Of course, he knew the answer to all of them; most of it was rather basic tactical work. Although, he did know that it was far above what a Genin should be expected to understand.

"_I wonder whose figured it out" _Shikamaru wondered as he looked around the room. "_The Chunin around the room watching us, the exam stipulating that cheating only loses you a mark, the incredibly hard questions. It's pretty obvious that they want us to cheat._"

Shikamaru looked over at the people he knew, looking to see what they were up to.

"_Kiba has Akamaru giving him the answers, pretty smart but also completely selfish, we are boring scored as a team after all. Seems that Sakura knows the answers herself, I wonder how she'll give them to Choji."_

Beside him, Ino slowly slid down onto her desk and he noticed that Sakura had stopped writing; she was only looking at what she had written.

"_How clever, surprised that Ino had it in her. Shino will be using his bugs no doubt to spy on the others and judging by the fact that he's writing without even looking at the page, Sasuke's copying with his Sharingan. Well colour me impressed, maybe there's some hope for them after all."_

Shikamaru turned his attention to his own team, figuring that he should probably be more concerned about them. First he looked over at Hinata and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was already writing, appearing to be going okay.

"_Of course" _Shikamaru thought, as he noticed the raised veins around her eyes. "_She's using the Byakugan to copy the answers from people around her, I should have known. I guess that just leaves Naruto, someone like him will have figured something out by now._"

Shikamaru looked over at Naruto, who was sat there completely still. Puzzled, he examined him for another minute or so, trying to figure out what he was up to. He thought that it might have something to do with his headband, which was placed on the edge of the table. However, its position meant that it was unlikely that he would be able to see anyone's paper.

"_Oh well, he must be up to something. Guess I should start my own work now, if I finish quick I might be able to take a nap before the tenth question."_

Shikamaru went to pick up his pencil and out of the corner of his eye saw Naruto doing the same thing. At first he thought it was a coincidence, so he moved to write. Once again, Naruto did the exact same thing.

"_Is he copying my movements?"_

To check, Shikamaru made several other movements, which mostly consisted of moving his pencil around the table. Naruto did the same thing each time. It took a minute or so but Shikamaru eventually caught on to what he was up to.

"_I guess he isn't as good at everything as he thinks" _Shikamaru thought. _"He wants me to use my jutsu on him so that hell' write the answers as I do. It's not like him to admit that he needs help, guess that teamwork thing actually sunk in."_

"_Kagemane no Jutsu!"_

Shikamaru had to time the speed of his shadow well, make sure it was slow enough to not attract attention but quick enough to get to Naruto before his chakra ran too low. He was successful with this and the next half an hour was spent writing. Genin after Genin was sent out from the exam after being caught cheating one too many times until there was less than half remaining.

"Okay, it's time for the final question" Ibiki declared. "However, there are additional rules with this one. The first is that you are free not to take the question but if you do so, you will fail this test. Secondly, if you opt to take the question but get it wrong, you will not only fail but you will be barred from taking these exams ever again!"

That declaration soon got everyone chatting. A couple of the Genin shouted about how he can't do that, how others have failed the exams before and been able to have another go. He answered these accusations by reminding them that he was in charge and could make any rules he wanted to.

"So, who wants to leave?"

It took roughly half a minute before one poor Genin slowly raised his hand in shame. After that, the floodgates opened and team after team walked out the door. This continued until only around a quarter of the original group remained.

"No more?" Ibiki asked.

The Genin all stayed firm, determined to win out over Ibiki's mind games, confident that they would be the ones to correctly answer the question.

"All right then" Ibiki grinned. "Well, I'm happy to tell you that-"

_CRASH_

The window to the left shattered as a figure zoomed inside of the room. Several of the Genin screamed out, others jumped to their feet. Shikamaru stayed seated initially, willing to analyse the situation first.

"_Is this part of the exam? Or has something gone horribly wrong?"_

He didn't have to wait long for an answer, as the figure put up what seemed to be a huge banner, with the words "Second Exam" printed on it. The woman stood up charismatically, her beige jacket swinging behind her like a cape and her eyes filled with excitement.

"This is no time to be celebrating!" she declared, pointing out at the group. "I'm Anko Mitarashi and I'll be the Proctor for the Second Exam. Now everyone, follow me!"

Everyone sat still for a second, not sure how to react to this. What about the tenth question?

"You're early," Ibiki growled, as he stepped in front of the banner. "I hadn't even told them the result of the test yet."

Anko's face fell as she realised what she had done, a small red line appearing around her cheeks.

"Oh, well then I can tell you!" Anko shouted, clearly trying to save face. "You all passed, congratulations. But don't celebrate! Like I said before, the second exam is just around the corner."

"What? I don't get it!" Kiba yelled out and he was backed up by several of the other Genin.

"Well-"

"It's not important" Anko said, cutting off Ibiki. "It's something to do with working together as a team, seeing how well you could collect information, see through a mission to the end blah blah blah. If you want more info you can see Ibiki in your own time, this is my exam now!"

"_Oh man, she's going to be a nightmare," _Shikamaru groaned internally. "_Whatever this second test is, I hope we don't have to be around her too much."_

"Now then, enough of the explanation" Anko continued. "The point is, you've passed and now it's the time for the Second Exam. Everyone follow me and try not to have a heart attack when I tell you what the exam is."

* * *

Deep in a forest, a hooded figure laid waiting in the shadows. He had been there for hours, but he still had no desire to move. After all, this was all part of the plan, all part of the mission that had been given to him and he would act it out in the exact way he was told.

"Soon" he whispered, as he checked the height of the sun to estimate the time. "He is coming very soon."

**A/N: Sorry this one was a little late, I'm trying to stick to an update every two weeks but it's tough to keep up given everything else I'm doing. Hope everyone is still enjoying this story because I'm still enjoying writing it! **

**Next Chapter: Intruder in the Forest of Death**


	9. Chapter 9: Fight in the Forest of Death

**A/N: Sorry, this is only Chapter 9 reposted because last time it sent the alerts out but didn't actually show the chapter on the site for some reason. Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 9: Fight in the Forest of Death

It seemed that, over the course of the morning, the temperature had risen tenfold across the village. In fact, Naruto couldn't remember a day that had been as warm as that one so far that year.

"_Typical_" he thought, as he walked with the rest of the Genin to their unknown destination. "_I bet this'll be a physical test as well, having to deal with Shikamaru is going to be such a pain."_

"Hey, no slacking at the back!" Anko yelled, staring back at over the group with an exaggerated snarl. "If you don't hurry up, I'm not against leaving you here!"

Naruto had been used to seeing all sorts of Shinobi throughout his life, every day there would be multiple Chunin and Jonin coming and going through the house. Despite this, he had to admit that he had never seen a Kunoichi like Anko. Female Shinobi had a lot to prove; after all if the older members of the village had their way, all Shinobi would be men. This would usually lead to a Kunoichi being more reserved, hard working and desperate to prove herself. Anko was the complete opposite of that; she was loud, slightly obnoxious and her provocative dress sense was incredibly daring. He was also sure that he had heard of her before but he wasn't entirely sure where. He had vague memories of conversation he'd overheard between Minato and Kakashi but they always stopped when they became aware of his presence.

"It's strange" Hinata squeaked. "Everyone's so quiet now."

Naruto had also noticed that the noise level had returned to the dull whisper from before the first exam, after the initial excitement that had arisen just after the end of the written exam.

"There's not much time between the two exams, nobody can afford to get carried away with themselves" Shikamaru yawned, much to Naruto's concern. "I guess everyone's realised that now, and now that everyone's got a taste of how difficult these exams are going to be, it's only made it worse."

"Well, then I guess that's good for the teams who aren't nervous then" Kiba smirked from just behind Shikamaru. "I'm pumped, sitting in that classroom has gotten me all riled up."

Naruto thought up a retort in his head but didn't bother using it. He'd deduced that arguing with Kiba was like trying to destroy a mountain with a hammer. It might be enjoyable to let some steam off initially, but ultimately you'll get nowhere.

"Ah, I know where we're going" Naruto heard Sasuke declare confidently.

Not wanting to be outdone, Naruto checked the surroundings for the first time in a while. It took him a few seconds of concentrating on where exactly they were and what direction they were heading, but he eventually understood as well.

"One of the forests" Naruto whispered to his team. "There's nothing else down this way, that's got to be it!"

"Why would we be going there?" Hinata wondered.

"Who knows, could be loads of reasons" Naruto shrugged. "At least there'll be shade from the sun in there."

Naruto's suspicions were proven to be correct just a few minutes later, when the group came to a halt in front of a forest situated behind a metal gate. Anko stepped forward slightly, before dramatically turning around and holding her arm out, showing her palm to the group.

"Stop there!" she said to the already static group, without a hint of any sarcasm in her voice. "Now listen up, this is the stage for the Second Exam. Officially, this is known as the Forty Fourth Training Ground, but we have an even better name for it. _The Forest of Death_."

Anko grinned maliciously at the last line, apparently enjoying her attempt to strike fear into the hearts of the Genin. She chuckled under her breath before continuing.

"Now, let me explain the details of this exam."

Naruto thought that the exam itself seemed simple enough on the face of it. All they had to do was get a scroll to make a pair with theirs before heading towards the tower in the middle of the forest. Although, Naruto had learned not to take things at face value anymore so he knew it wouldn't be as easy as it sounded at first.

"Before we begin, I have some procedural stuff to go over" Anko said, the boredom obvious in her voice. "The first thing is that, before you take part in this exam, you must first fill out this clearance form."

"Why's that?" Temari asked.

"So I don't get in trouble if you get yourself killed" Anko answered, her bluntness shocking Naruto once again. "That leads into my second point. You are not allowed to quit the exam, once you walk in you can't leave until you either get to the tower or 5 days pass. Remember, this is to show that you're ready to be Chunin and Chunin can't quit in the middle of a mission. But, there are going to be ANBU stationed around the perimeter in case of emergencies. So if there aren't any questions, you can go and collect your forms and scrolls."

After spending a few minutes going through the process, Naruto and his team lined up in front of gate number 16. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but the forest looked terrifying. Despite the fact that it was the middle of the day, the forest seemed to be completely dark. That's not to mention all of the strange sounds coming from within, he didn't even want to consider what was waiting for them in there.

"So what have we got with us?" Shikamaru asked, mercifully breaking Naruto's concentration.

"A few kunai, some Shiruken, paper bombs, spare scrolls and what's this?" Naruto wondered, picking up a strange bottle.

"Oh, that's my ointment" Hinata muttered quietly. "It helps heal injuries, it's not much but it could be useful."

"Hey that is useful, why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're an idiot" Shikamaru responded to Naruto with his usual deadpan tone. Naruto feigned annoyance but only because he knew it would exaggerate the hilarity of the situation.

"You three might want to stop laughing" the nameless Jonin stood by the fence said. "It'll be any second now."

All across the forest each team stood to attention and waited. The forest before them was dark and uninviting, just the very thought of spending five days in there made some of them feel physically ill. They held their breath, consolidating their thoughts for just a moment. Finally, Anko put them out of their misery.

"The Second Exam has begun!"

* * *

The first day of the exam had been incredibly uneventful for Sasuke and his team. They had decided to take a slow and steady approach, move in the shadows and try to conceal themselves as best they could. It was an effective plan in the sense that it made it easier to avoid being caught off guard. The downside, though, was that they hadn't seen anyone they could attack either.

They decided to settle down for a few hours, figuring that they would be at an advantage moving under the cover of darkness, while everyone else looked to rest. As Shino placed his bugs in strategic places around them, Sasuke sat back and watched the sunset. It always reminded him of the times he spent with his brother, walking home at dusk after playing out since early morning. Sometimes, he still yearned for those days. Itachi had so much work to do, that Sasuke had barely seen him in the last few months.

"What are you thinking about Sasuke?"

It took all the restraint he had to not visibly express his annoyance. Itachi had actually warned him about attracting the attention of the girls in his class; it's just that he hadn't expected it to be so extreme. Ino's constant fawning over him was quickly becoming very wearisome, especially when she insisted on sitting so close to him.

"I'm planning our next move" Sasuke lied, not wanting to encourage her behaviour any further. "What we're doing is risky, it won't work if we just go out there without thinking it over."

"I agree" Shino mumbled. "What ideas do you have?"

Sasuke stood up again and paced around a little, he'd found that it helped him concentrate. It was a trait that he had picked up from his father.

"We need to be careful with our targets," he said slowly. "Shino, do you have any bugs that can detect specific chakra?"

Shino, in his usual reserved style, simply nodded slightly.

"Okay, we can use that to avoid the more dangerous teams" Sasuke continued.

"Well, which teams do we deem dangerous?" Ino enquired.

"From what I can tell, the team from Suna with the Kazekage's kids should be pretty tough. Based on what Naruto's said over the years, the smaller one is supposed to be pretty strong," Sasuke commented. "I also don't like the sound of that Neji guy, my Dad said that the Hyuga value him highly. Then of course, there's Naruto's team."

The last name was said with a slightly bitter undertone.

"What, you think we can't take them!" Ino yelled, before turning her voice down at Sasuke's flash of annoyance. "Sorry, I just mean that they aren't stronger than we are!"

"That's not the point" Shino interrupted before Sasuke could answer. "Yes, Naruto's team is strong but so are we. However, it does not matter how strong we are in relation to them for this task as we simply looking for teams that are far weaker than we are, teams that cannot compare to our strength. Therefore-"

"Okay Shino we get the point" Sasuke butted in. He'd grown fond of Shino as time went on, but that didn't compensate for his annoying habit to use so many words to say very little. "As much as I hate to admit it, I agree. Fighting Naruto's team would be difficult and exhausting, that's not what this exam is about."

"I guess" Ino sighed, apparently unconvinced. "So, what teams do we target?"

Sasuke was about to answer, but something stopped him. He wasn't sure if he had heard a sound or sensed a foreign chakra, but he knew that someone was drawing close to them. He paused for just a second, listening out for any signs. Just when he was ready to write it off as paranoia induced by the conditions, Shino reacted.

'There's someone coming" he declared, sounding somewhat panicked. "He's moving fast whoever it is, the beetles can't keep track of him."

Instinctively, the team grouped together, standing back to back in a huddle. Sasuke held up a kunai and activated his Sharingan, preparing himself for any possibility. He could feel a drop of sweat move slowly down his face, but he resisted the urge to wipe it. He couldn't afford any distractions. Finally, a figure moved out of the forest, walking slowly towards them.

* * *

As you would imagine, having the Hokage for a father had its benefits but having Kushina for a mother had even more. As caring as she was, she was determined not to let Naruto be a pushover or vulnerable. She spent years trying to teach him how to be aware of his surroundings and it finally became useful.

"Hinata, check behind us at 8 O'clock" Naruto whispered, trying to keep his voice low.

Naruto watched as she activated her Byakugan, and moved her eyes towards the corner. She nodded slowly, not wanting to make it too obvious. Shikamaru let out a small groan in reaction to this and shook his head.

"Just as we were doing so well in avoiding any work" Shikamaru sighed. "All right then, what are we looking at Hinata?"

Hinata didn't respond for a moment, instead she just scrunched her eyes up in apparent confusion.

"I don't know what's going on" she stammered, the tempo of her breathing increasing. "The chakra is different, it's moving around a lot. It's increasing, this is bigger than anything I've ever seen!"

The attack happened without warning. Thankfully, the movements couldn't fool Hinata's Byakugan and she was able to alert Naruto and Shikamaru quick enough for them to jump out of the way of the oncoming assault. Naruto didn't even see exactly what the attack was; all he knew was that a cloud of dust was kicked up by its impact into the ground.

"There's someone in there" Shikamaru said, speaking in between spouts of coughing.

The dust eventually cleared to reveal someone Naruto knew very well.

"What the hell is this?" Naruto demanded to know, turning to Hinata. "This is the guy with the giant chakra? Are you serious?"

Hinata looked as stunned as Naruto and didn't seem to know what to say. She stammered a little and her cheeks filled with a pinkish glow.

"Ha! I can't believe that actually worked!" Kiba beamed from within the small dent he'd made in the ground. "I guess Sakura really wasn't overrating her genjutsu then."

Sakura and Choji soon joined their teammate and the two teams stared each other down.

"Now that we've found you, I can finally wipe that smug smile that you permanently have off your face!" Kiba declared, pointing directly at Naruto.

The young blonde held his stare for a moment, before breaking out in a cheeky grin.

"What? It took you the whole day to find us? Man, looks like your nose isn't anywhere near as good as you claim" he laughed. "You're deluded if you think you're beating us with something like that! Before I kick your ass, Hinata check them out."

Hinata blinked and checked Kiba with her Byakugan. After a moment of searching, she turned back to Naruto.

"Kiba's holding an earth scroll," she informed him. "It's in the weapons pouch on his right hip, mixed with multiple other scrolls."

"It's going to feel so satisfying to beat you and take that scroll," Naruto muttered, as he took out two trench knives and held them in each hand. "Shikamaru, you deal with Choji when he attacks. I'll use my _Kage Bunshin_ to deal with Sakura and I'll personally take care of Kiba."

"That's stupid, what about Hinata?" Shikamaru asked. "She'd be better off taking care of Kiba, he relies on taijutsu so-"

"No, I'm doing it" Naruto butted in. "Hinata, you hang back and give help if it's needed all right?"

Naruto took Hinata's lack of response as a yes and began his attack. He ran forward and immediately weaved a sign.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

As he promised, Naruto's clones were sent after Sakura, who had taken up her place at the back of the group. With that problem now placed at the back of his mind, Naruto took a swing at Kiba with his knives. To his surprised, his opponent was not only able to dodge the attack; he was also able to attempt a counterblow.

"_He's faster than he used to be, by a lot," _Naruto thought, as he quickly doubled back to avoid Kiba's attempted strike. "_I'm going to have to be careful here."_

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Choji expand to an incredible size and noticed that Shikamaru was already confronting him.

"_Jujin Bunshin!"_

Naruto looked over to see two Kiba's, both on all fours. However, that's not all that was different. His fangs were showing and his hands resembled claws. Rather than speaking to Naruto, he sounded like he was growling at him.

"You might want to keep your eyes on me from now on!"

Both Kiba's launched themselves at Naruto, aiming their sharpened claws at any body part they could reach. Naruto had to do his best just to avoid their strikes, while he also attempted to land a blow of his own. He ducked, dived and pivoted around while he swung his arms in any random direction he could. This became more and more difficult as time went on.

"_How is he doing this without letting up?_" Naruto wondered, as one of Kiba's razor sharp nails narrowly missed Naruto's face. "_I don't even have time to make another clone seal and I can't aim my hits close enough to him. If only I had longer weapons._"

That was when Naruto realised what he had to do. It became a case of now or never, he had to channel his chakra through the knives or he'd never hit Kiba and he'd have to suffer the embarrassment of defeat.

"_I just have to visualise it, make the weapon a part of me_" Naruto thought, echoing the words of his Sensei.

With one desperate lunge, he swung the knives right past both Kiba's faces. The next second passed unbelievably slowly, as if everyone was moving at a snails pace. Naruto stared at Kiba, just hoping that something would happen, anything. At first, it seemed like he had failed once again. Then, just as tiredness threatened to creep in and leave Naruto vulnerable, a slash appeared across Kiba's cheek. It wasn't deep and the chakra coming from Naruto's knives was weak at best but it was enough to cause both Kiba and Akamaru to stumble backwards and temporarily halt their attack.

"_All right, time to balance the odds!" _Naruto thought, as he prepared the clone sign.

However, as he began to raise his hands, Naruto suddenly lost the ability to move. It was as if an outside force was physically binding his hands, in fact, it felt as if his entire body was being bound.

"_What in the world…"_

Suddenly, a tree sprouted out of the ground and surrounded him. The trunk ran up behind his back, before several branches wrapped around him.

"_Genjutsu? But when and who?"_

The answer came to him within seconds when he looked up. Sakura was stood behind Kiba and Akamaru, her eyes closed and a seal held up. Kiba's horribly satisfied grin made Naruto grimace with anger.

"Finish him Akamaru!" Kiba commanded, as his clone set off towards Naruto.

Helpless, Naruto racked his brain for a plan. Genjutsu was never his strong suit; in fact he did his best to avoid it entirely. He knew that pain could possibly break the illusion but when he bit his lip it didn't have any effect. As Akamaru reached him, Naruto closed his eyes and for the first time in his life, he gave up.

"Naruto, you might want to open your eyes."

Despite the softness of her voice, Hinata's words were enough to startle him. Although, that surprise was nothing compared to the one that awaited him upon opening his eyes.

Akamaru was unconscious at Naruto's feet, the tree was gone and Naruto was free to move again. Hinata stood next to him, her hand on his shoulder and bulging eyes staring dead ahead, with a flicker of confidence shining through.

"You broke the genjutsu?"

Hinata nodded, keeping her gaze on the sight ahead.

"Akamaru is out, you can fight Kiba one on one," she informed him. "I'll help Shikamaru against Choji, he's not able to catch him with his shadows just yet."

"But what about Sakura? Couldn't she just use her genjutsu again?" Naruto asked, putting his surprise to the back of his mind for a moment.

Hinata shook her head, as she walked over to where Shikamaru and Choji's fight was continuing.

"She has very little chakra left now, my guess is that she hasn't got a true handle on that genjutsu" she said.

She then ran over to Shikamaru, her movements more upbeat than usual. Naruto could only watch her, completely speechless.

"_When did she?_"

"Bastard!" Kiba screamed, enraged by the sudden change of events. "I was so close! I'll take you out now!"

Kiba withdrew a kunai and ran towards him once again. Naruto instinctively reached for his knives, but realised that they were on the floor several metres away. Panicked, he dove into every pocket and pouch he had looking for a weapon. Finally, he placed his hand round the hilt of a kunai and pulled it out. With Kiba bearing down on him, he had no time to check what he had selected. He simply swung the blade to meet Kiba's just in the nick of time, causing a loud ringing of clashing metal.

Kiba's kunai split clean in half and he was left merely holding a handle. The exhausted Inuzuka stared at the hilt of the blade in disbelief, before looking around desperately for support. However, it was not to be. Sakura was too exhausted from her efforts that she could barely stand and Choji was caught in Shikamaru's shadows. In any case, Hinata had been able to affect his chakra to the extent that he could barely move. He then turned to Naruto, who was pointing the kunai towards him.

"Well what do you know?" Naruto chuckled. "This kunai really is special!"

* * *

"What did you just say?"

Sasuke could barely keep his voice steady as he spoke and his knees felt weak. The man who had approached them appeared to be an ANBU of Konoha and he had just given Sasuke some disturbing news.

"There's someone in this forest after you" the masked ANBU repeated calmly. "We received news from a very reliable source that Orochimaru had planted a spy within Konoha and he wants to take you."

"No way! Why Sasuke?" Ino demanded to know.

"That information is on a need to know basis" the ANBU gave his predictable answer.

Ino seemed prepared to push the case further, but Sasuke placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. After the initial shock had worn of, he had realised what this was most likely to be about. If there's one thing that someone would want with an Uchiha, he knew what it would be.

"Anyway, we've had enough talking, time is of the essence. I need to get Sasuke out of here for the time being for his own safety. The exam will be suspended shortly, it's a case of the ANBU reaching all of the teams to inform them now."

Sasuke nodded and step forward to be escorted away, but Shino put out his hand to stop him.

"Wait a minute," he grumbled. "How do we know that you're telling the truth? How can we trust you?"

Sasuke had to admit that the thought had crossed his mind as well. The ANBU's voice made it clear that he was young, very young, possibly only a year or two older than Sasuke and his tone seemed to be very bland and emotionless, even for a Shinobi. Although this wasn't too concerning to him, after all Itachi was an ANBU captain at his age.

"It's okay Shino, he checks out" Sasuke informed him. "I used my Sharingan so I know that he's not using a transformation jutsu of any kind. Also, there's a small amount of chakra emanating from his right shoulder. My guess is that it's the tattoo you were given on your induction, right?"

"Correct" the ANBU replied, pulling up his sleeve for proof. "Now then Sasuke, we must go."

Sasuke bid a short goodbye to his teammates and ran into the forest with his new companion.

"We'll have to keep the pace slow, I'd rather not attract anyone's attention" the ANBU called out. "We haven't been able to track are intruder, so he could be anywhere around here. Stay focused, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded his approval and they kept on going. It was a silent journey for the most part; understandably they didn't want to make too much noise. This left Sasuke to gather his thoughts and truly comes to terms with it all.

"_Even if they catch this guy, whose to say there won't be another coming soon after?_" he thought. "_Am I going to live the rest of my life in fear? Constantly looking over my shoulder and waiting for a threat that may or may not come? How can I be a Shinobi when I have to deal with that?_"

"What was that?" the ANBU asked, looking behind them. "Shit, there's definitely someone following us."

Sasuke listened out and he too could here the sound of footsteps on branches, as whoever was behind them jumped off them.

"Well, who is it? Is it the intruder or just another team?"

"I don't know, but we can't take that chance" the ANBU said, as he opened up a scroll. "I didn't want to do this earlier because we'd be easily spotted, but if the enemy is closing in we might not have a choice."

Interestingly, the ANBU next took out a paintbrush. Quickly, and with an impressive amount of artistic precision, he painted a bird.

"_Choju Giga!"_

Incredibly, the bird practically leapt out of the scroll and hovered just before them. It was a strange creation no doubt, it had the outline of an actual bird but it looked as if it would simply splatter when touched.

"Don't worry, it's safe," the ANBU informed him and he demonstrated this by jumping on it himself. "Now get on, we have maybe seconds before we're caught."

Sasuke did as he was told, and he was immediately taken into the sky. The speed with which the bird moved was absolutely breathtaking, he hadn't experienced anything like that before. It was obvious that the ANBU was very skilful at manoeuvring the beast, he was able to easily avoid the trees and reached the open air above the forest.

"All right, now we can-"

The ANBU was interrupted by a disturbance below. A loud screeching noise echoed out and mysterious white smoke emanated from beneath the trees.

"What is that?" Sasuke cried out, as two silhouettes emerged from the forest and flew up towards them.

It appeared to be two large birds; similar to the one Sasuke was sat on in shape. One of the birds clearly had someone it's back and that one approached them at great speed.

"Can't you go any faster?" Sasuke asked, dropping all respect for authority.

"No" he replied, a hint of helplessness creeping into the dull tones. "There's nothing I can do now, I have failed to protect the village."

Within seconds, the birds had caught up. Sasuke tried his best to stand and prepare to fight, but he was forced to stop when he saw just who was approaching them.

"Itachi?" Sasuke said, completely lost. "What are you doing?"

"Sasuke, get away from him!" Itachi cried out, his Sharingan activated and his voice filled with anger. "I don't know what he told you to get you to go along with him but whatever it is he is not authorised to be taking you."

"Don't listen to him Sasuke, that's not your brother," the ANBU advised, his voice noticeably calmer than it was before. "He's the one looking to deceive you, don't you think it's convenient that he has appeared now?"

Sasuke didn't know whom to believe. He didn't even know whom he wanted to believe. Would he rather his brother be here to protect him or that he hadn't fallen for such an obvious trick? Itachi's look was convincing, but then again that wouldn't be difficult for an expert to copy. Also, he had never heard of Itachi using a hawk before.

"Sasuke, don't be a fool" Itachi said, his voice showing a hint of desperation. "Don't doubt me now please? Remember what I said? I'll always be here for you."

Itachi's words stirred up memories close to Sasuke's heart and guided him to the right choice. He nodded his decision to Itachi and prepared to jump to the spare hawk flying nearby. Before he could move, he felt a cool metal blade touch his neck.

"Not another move, either of you" the ANBU said, his voice still unchanged. "Itachi, if you don't stop your perusal right now I will kill Sasuke."

What happened next was so fast that Sasuke couldn't follow it even with the Sharingan. All he saw was Itachi's eyes, filled with an unbearable rage. Before he knew it, the ANBU was unconscious and Itachi was holding him by the scruff of the neck.

"The hawk will take you back to your team" Itachi said, his voice returning to its usual softness. "Go quickly, you need to make up for lost time."

"I have so many questions-"

"You can ask them later" Itachi interrupted. "We both have some urgent matters to attend to right now."

* * *

"Where is Ibiki?"

"I'm not sure, I can send someone out if you like?"

"No, I'll go and find him. I need to speak with him in person first."

Itachi's hit had not been too hard, although he doubted that was a good thing given how quickly he woke up. When he did so, he was met with a bright light and the feeling of his hands being bound. From what he could see from his first observations, only Itachi and one other Shinobi wearing Konoha fatigues were in the room.

"Looks like he's woken up" the white haired one noted. "Maybe you didn't hit him hard enough, Itachi?"

"No Kabuto, this was intentional" Itachi responded. "This is ideal actually, I can confirm my suspicions now before speaking to Ibiki."

Itachi sat down across from him and he made sure to avoid eye contact.

"You're Sai right?" Itachi asked, his voice calm but commanding.

Sai nodded his confirmation, mimicking his training. Of the three things he can divulge, his given name was one of them. Of course, it was completely meaningless. His real name had been lost long ago.

"We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way Sai" Itachi threatened. "We'll try the easy way first. So, what can you tell me about Danzo?"

Sai knew exactly what Itachi was trying to do and he refused to comply with it. He knew that, should Itachi obtain the information he was looking for, Lord Danzo would be in grave danger.

"Not willing to talk eh?" Itachi commented. "Well then, I must apologise for this."

For the second time that hour, Sai was left stunned by Itachi's strength and speed. He couldn't anticipate the Uchiha's movements as he dived across the table and grabbed the back of his hair. He was helpless to resist Itachi's movements and stared straight into his eyes.

For the first time in years, Sai felt an emotion. What he experienced was true fear. His world crashed all around him, he was left blinded by Itachi's visual prowess. He couldn't see anything, smell anything or touch anything. All that existed was Itachi's voice in his ear, forcefully demanding answers from him.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT DANZO!"

He wanted to tell him, more than anything in the world. He tried to scream it out, he practically begged Itachi to hear him. Except, he couldn't do it. Every time he tried to, his tongue would roll up and prevent him from speaking. He couldn't bear it, he just wanted out of this hell.

Mercifully, it soon ended. Sai returned to the room, still strapped to the chair. Itachi's eyes were still staring directly into his and Kabuto still watched from the corner. Sai was sweating and his tongue was hanging lamely from his mouth.

"The seal" Itachi murmured, looking down at Sai. "How incredible, it seems that one of Danzo's men managed to slip under the radar. I will be interested to find out how you did it and what secrets you know."

Itachi turned to leave but Kabuto had one more question before he could.

"Are you not going to conduct this yourself? After all, even Ibiki cannot stand up to your Sharingan genjutsu when it comes to penetrating the mind."

"It's not Ibiki I'm after right now" Itachi responded. "We need Lord Hokage to remove the seal from him first, as it is right now he can't tell us anything. Can you watch him while I'm gone?"

Kabuto nodded and Itachi left. The room remained silent for a minute, as Kabuto slowly walked in circles. Finally, he stopped just behind Sai.

"As expected" he purred, a noticeable change in his voice. "After all, if you're boss is a failure why should anything more be expected from his subordinates?"

Sai remained tight-lipped, although he to admit that he was intrigued. He couldn't help but wonder what type of interrogation technique he was being subjected to.

"Not very talkative are you? Oh well, it doesn't matter because all you have to do is listen" Kabuto continued. "You see, a few months ago I was presented with a very difficult problem. You see, I primarily work as a spy in foreign lands. Occasionally, during this line of work, I have to assassinate people. It's not a pretty business but I'm okay with it most of the time. However, the issue with this particular assassination is that I have to keep working as a spy afterwards, which could prove difficult. I crammed my brain for weeks trying to think of how I would pull it off. Would you like to know my solution?"

Sai didn't speak but not out of any kind of determination. This time, he could feel fear rise within him again.

"You see, what I had to do was kill him but let everyone think he killed himself," Kabuto said. "But he's in a room and tied up and I'm the only one with him. So, you can see why I would be a suspect. So, this is what I think. I force him to drink this fact acting poison and I break his bounds from the inside. That way, I can claim that he broke out and committed suicide so he wouldn't reveal any secrets. After all, being negligent is a lot better than being caught."

The sweat returned to Sai's face, which had become even more pale than usual. He was even shaking.

"You're going to kill me?" he asked nervously.

"Of course" Kabuto hissed in delight, as he moved in front of Sai and moved his face in close. "I can't have you spilling secrets about my master, Lord Orochimaru, now can I? Now, open wide!"

Just as Kabuto prepared to force the poison on Sai, there was the sound of a door opening from below. Kabuto spun around quickly, before cursing under his breath.

"I forgot about the Hirashin seal on the door downstairs" he sighed. "This is what I get for trying a big villainous speech I guess. Oh well, guess its Plan B."

Kabuto rushed back over to Sai.

"Just so you know, if you reveal anything about Lord Orochimaru, Danzo will be brutally murdered. So keep that in mind when Ibiki is putting you through mental torture later. Let's just hope all that mental training Danzo gave you was enough, eh?"

* * *

"That's the tower isn't it?"

"What else would it be?"

"Shut up Shikamaru, there's no harm in asking you know!" Naruto snapped, as they all walked slowly forwards. "It's a good job we waited until morning to do this, it would have been impossible to see anything around here in the dark."

The path to the tower wasn't a straight line; instead they had to navigate through a whole raft of trees and other obstacles. The only way they knew where they were going was the fact that the tower was far higher than anything else around them.

"What? So the fact you were exhausted had nothing to do with why we had to rest?" Shikamaru teased. "Good to know for the future I guess."

Naruto groaned under his breath at Shikamaru but decided to drop it. He was still mentally exhausted despite the rest and he struggled to match his teammate at the best of times.

"Someone's coming" Hinata said blandly. "Directly to our right through those trees."

"All right, I needed something to pick me up this morning!" Naruto declared, as he reached into his pouch.

"Oh, I doubt you'll be needing that" Hinata sighed. "There won't be any fighting going on."

Naruto understood what she meant when Neji stepped through the trees, followed by TenTen and Rock Lee. Predictably, as soon as he saw Hinata, Neji made a slight bow.

"It's a pleasure to see you Lady Hinata" Neji said, ignoring his teammates as they rolled their eyes in the background. "Is there anything I can do? Do you need a scroll perhaps?"

"Neji!" TenTen yelled, as she held her backpack protectively. "We worked hard to get this pair, I won't let you just give it up like that!"

"It's fine, we don't need one" Hinata interjected, apparently sensing the possibility of an argument. "If you want to help, you can just walk to the tower with us."

"It would be an honour" Neji responded, obviously not seeing the need to consult his team.

The six of them barely walked another hundred metres before running into another team. Neji and Hinata alerted them to the possible threat but because of the close proximity it was too late to react.

"They seem to be from Suna" Neji said, as he sensed them walking towards him. "One is smaller than the others and is carrying a gourd on his back."

Naruto burst out laughing at this, to everyone's surprise.

"We don't have anything to worry about there" Naruto reassured them.

At first, this seemed to be a misjudgement on Naruto's part. When the Suna team emerged they immediately took up a fighting stance and appeared ready to be aggressive.

"Oh come on, you really want to fight?" Naruto moaned at them. "I mean, I'd be all for it but your completely outnumbered so it's pointless and not as fun. I know you have your scrolls, why don't we just walk to the tower?"

"Well, we didn't get all of these scrolls by letting people go you know" Kankuro said, opening up a small puppet to reveal a relatively large pile of scrolls.

"You got all of them?" Shikamaru awed at the collection. "In such a short space of time?"

"Of course" Temari bragged, shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal. "The more we get the less for everyone else. Lessens the competition in the next round."

The way Temari spoke put everyone apart from Naruto on edge. He could just tell by looking at Gaara what was going to happen and soon enough-

"We should do as Naruto said" Gaara mumbled. "We don't know what we'll have to do at the tower anyway, it's best not to waste any chakra or stamina here."

Of course the two siblings did as Gaara said and they all walked to the tower together. Having a larger group certainly helped for morale, they all visibly relaxed as they walked. They had no problems finishing the exam; they reached the tower without seeing a single soul.

"_Probably aren't enough scrolls to go around_" Naruto thought, as he looked again towards Kankuro and his collection. "_I wonder, just how many more teams can get through?_"

* * *

There was a reason that Orochimaru liked to have his hideouts as quiet as possible. In fact there were many reasons, but two in particular stood out. The first, of course, was that he needed it to be so for his experiments. However, the second was much more personal. He just loved to listen to the sound of his footsteps echoing out menacingly as he walked. It made him much more intimidating he felt. He could only imagine what one of his test subjects felt as they heard him walking towards him. The very thought gave him chills.

"_I wonder what you're thinking right now, Danzo_" Orochimaru pondered, as he headed towards his room. "_You must know what's happened, you must be expecting me old man._"

Eventually, he reached the room. Without knocking, he slowly opened up the door. Surprisingly, Danzo was simply sat at his desk, apparently writing something down.

"Who are you writing to now?" Orochimaru asked. "After all, you're only remaining informant has now been captured."

Danzo stopped what he was doing for a second and turned to face him.

"I was thinking of a new plan-"

Orochimaru's wild laughter put an end to the explanation before it could begin. He cackled loudly and so hard that he was doubled over.

"You think that I'll let you come up with another plan now?" Orochimaru laughed. "Any usefulness you may have had has been outlived Danzo."

"So, you've come to kill me?" Danzo asked, as he raised his hands together. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but I won't go so easily."

Mokuton exploded out of the floor of the room and headed straight for Orochimaru. The snake Sannin barely moved as he caught the branch like structures, before snapping them in his hands.

"Hashirama must be turning in his grave with that pathetic display of his power" Orochimaru spat. "Face it Danzo, you're nothing!"

White snakes shot out from Orochimaru's sleeve and wrapped around Danzo's body. They then worked their way up to Danzo's bandage, which they proceeded to rip off.

"I'm not going to kill you" Orochimaru said in mock reassurance. "I just want to retrieve what I gave to you."

He ruthlessly pulled Shisui Uchiha's eye from its socket and then delighted in Danzo's cry of pain. He licked his lips at his suffering, enjoying the taste of it.

"That eye cannot do anything for you" Danzo stuttered. "Why?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find a use for it" Orochimaru said with a deep laugh. "And now, it's time for you to die."

He had waited so long to see Danzo show fear and at that moment, he finally got to see it. It was as satisfying as he had hoped it would be and he hoped it would only get better.

"Oh, I'm not going to do it" he added, as he beckoned for the man at the other end of the hallway to come over. "I thought I'd leave it to an old friend."

Orochimaru always found the death of the noble so much sweeter than others. In his view, almost all humans were the same pathetic creatures, with a certain few rising above the rest. However, there were those that deluded themselves into thinking they were in that special group. Fools that wanted to be more but didn't have the ability to attain it. Orochimaru had always known that Danzo Shimura was one of those types of men and he enjoyed watching his last few moments. He enjoyed seeing him grovel on the floor helplessly. He enjoyed seeing him fighting back the tears. But most of all, he enjoyed seeing his reaction as he saw the face of one of the countless number of people whose lives he had destroyed walk into the room.

"You! But, no it can't be!" Danzo stuttered.

"No words" the man interrupted with his deep voice. Instead, he pulled at the sleeves of his black robe with red clouds, revealing a black metal rod. "You do not deserve to speak in the presence of a God."

**A/N: ****Warning 599 & 600 spoilers below**

**I have two things to say about the recent Tobi revelation. Firstly, I did quite like it I have to say. I know it's been unpopular amongst the fandom but I've thought it was Obito for a while and I'm glad it was him. I could list reasons why but I don't want to bore you all ;)**

**Secondly, the Tobi in this story is not necessarily the same just to warn you. I'd already decided on his identity for this fic when I started and I will not change this. **

**Also, there might be a few errors in the chapter because I haven't had a chance to properly check it yet. It was either publish as it is now or wait another 10 days, so I thought you'd all prefer this...**


	10. Preliminaries

Chapter 10: Preliminaries

"I DID IT!"

Naruto's loud introduction once he walked into the room had caused Kushina to jump ever so slightly. As a Jonin, she wasn't usually surprised by anything like that, but her thoughts were somewhere else that night. Minato had been called back to the interrogation room just an hour before with some disturbing news. The mark on the young boys tongue had disappeared all of a sudden, which of course could only mean one thing; Danzo had died. The situation just added more problems for her husband, and the worst part about it was that she knew that she couldn't do anything about it. Not like he would let her though, he had a habit of trying to do everything himself. She was very worried that he would soon burn himself out.

Still, Naruto's arrival had provided a welcome distraction for her. She had something to fuss over, with the lack of both her son and Kakashi, who she always viewed as a little brother; her maternal instincts had nowhere to manifest themselves.

"What, so are we just your cheerleaders or something?"

Kushina chuckled under her breath at this. She'd been very surprised when she first met Shikamaru. While he had his father's intelligence, he shared neither of his parents work rate or drive. He also had a quick wit and cocky attitude, although she supposed that he developed that in response to his mother who even Kushina thought was a little too overbearing. Overall, she thought that he was a good foil for Naruto. He was someone who could keep Naruto grounded and she of all people knew that her son needed an influence like that.

"I'm just finishing making dinner" Kushina said, pointing towards the boiling stove. "There's probably enough for each of you if you'd like-"

"Yes please!" they all replied in unison.

Kushina's cooking had become a hit with the trio so it came as no surprise to her that they would say yes. However, she wasn't expecting Hinata to be quite so forward in responding, usually she would just nod her head or give a response barely louder than a whisper. She wasn't going to complain about it though; Kushina had always secretly hoped that she would find some confidence.

"All right, take these to the table then" Kushina told them, as she poured the soup in to three bowls.

The Genin hurriedly took the food and did as they were told. The rest of the night was a mixture of laughter and storytelling as Naruto let his mother know about all of his "heroic feats" of the exams thus far.

"You're exaggerating that one" Shikamaru pointed out, stopping Naruto dead in his tracks. "All you did was summon a few clones and the other team basically ran away."

"You're just jealous" Naruto snapped, before turning to Hinata. "Tell him, won't you?"

"Actually, I agree with Shikamaru" Hinata responded, while laughing quietly under her breath.

Naruto threw his arms into the air and yelled, having what at first appeared to be one of his signature temper tantrums. However, the small smile that sneakily slipped through gave him away. It warmed Kushina's heart to see it. She could see how genuine the three of them were, they weren't just kids drawn to Naruto due to his position in the village. They were close friends who genuinely got along. It made her a little regretful that her team was never that close, she barely spoke to them now. The only one she really cared about was her Sensei, Sakumo.

"So how was your Chunin exams Mom?" Naruto enquired, breaking Kushina's train of thought.

"Oh, well let's see" Kushina began, trying to jog her memory. "As you'd expect, your father won the whole thing pretty easily, actually I'm pretty sure that he held a record for how quick the final fight was finished."

Her mind drifted back to that fight. She didn't even see what had happened, all she remembered was a flash of yellow and seeing Minato's opponent unconscious on the ground. Then the crowd let out an almighty roar and all the shy blonde boy in the middle did was wave meekly.

"What else, what was the exam like?" Naruto pestered, wanting to know more.

"It was just a tournament, a one on one fight" Kushina replied. "The fights are picked at random but as long as you don't have a preliminary round, you'll know who you're fighting first a month in advance."

They then went on to discuss possible matchups, with Naruto giving very detailed explanations about how exactly he would defeat every Genin in the exam, with a particular focus on the many ways he would beat Sasuke.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the way you're speaking about Mikoto's son there Naruto" Kushina interrupted as Naruto continued with a particularly graphic description of how he'd win. "You should be more respectful."

Naruto groaned and threatened to start an argument, and this time it appeared to be for real. Luckily, Shikamaru obviously noticed this as well and made an effort to change the subject.

"Anyway, it's getting late" he yawned, while glancing at the clock in the corner of the room. "I should probably be getting back right about now, my Mom's bound to get mad at me if I turn up when it's too late. You coming too Hinata?"

The young Hyuga heir nodded her head and both got up to leave. Kushina noticed Naruto's face flicker a small amount of disappointment for the slightest of moments, before returning to it's cocky default setting.

"Gets free food and then doesn't even stay to wash up, typical Shikamaru" Naruto joked. "Whatever, I guess I'll show you out."

Kushina listened in as Naruto continued his laughter up the hall and towards the door. She heard him making plans with his team for what they were going to do with their unexpected day off. She broke out another grin and then slowly shook her head.

"_Guess you were right again Minato" _she thought. "_He really did turn out all right."_

* * *

For the first time in years, Minato felt a little embarrassed in front of his subordinates. His yawn had been loud enough to cause an echo in the spacious room they were inside and he noticed a couple of the Jonin Instructors snigger under their breath.

Minato didn't care too much about that, he remembered having a similar reaction whenever the old 3rd Hokage made a similar mistake in front of him. In order to save himself from said embarrassment, he glanced around the room and pretended that he didn't notice what had happened. He actually hadn't noticed just how large the Chunin Exam Preliminary hall was before, after all it wasn't often that he was in there when it was so empty. It was a rather plain room as well, save the impressive stone structure of a two hands making a seal behind him. As he was about to turn around to admire the handiwork, Minato remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Minato asked, turning back to Anko.

"I said that only 4 teams passed the Second Exam" Anko said, with a hint of pride in her voice. "It's a bit of a difficult number to work with in truth, if there was a little bit more or a little bit less we'd definitely know how to proceed."

Minato nodded in agreement, 12 was indeed a rather tricky number to work with. Although, compared to what else he had been dealing with recently, it was a relatively stress free decision.

"The Tournament is supposed to be a full day experience for the visitors" Hayate, who Minato had selected as the 3rd Exams Proctor, wheezed. "Will that be possible with only 6 participants?"

"That depends on the Genin and how close they can keep their matches" Genma, who was stood to Minato's immediate right, pointed out. "If all of the fights are long and well fought, then they'll be suitably entertained."

"Plus, we also have to consider the possibility of the crowd getting restless with a long exam" Minato said. "Personally, I think I'd prefer a shorter exam this year as well. You're all aware of the delicate political situations that exist at the moment, getting these exams over quickly would be best."

As usual, a nervous silence followed Minato's words. The Jonin were generally reluctant to discuss the troubles with other villages, as if ignoring the problem would mean that it didn't exist.

"Maybe that should be why we extend the exams?"

Minato had spotted Fugaku entering a few seconds before he spoke but judging by the mild surprise by the others, they did not.

"Think about it for a second" Fugaku continued. "Having a large amount of students in the final shows strength, it sends a message to the other lands that we have the power to fight them off if needs be. We won't be intimidated by them."

Several of the Jonin nodded their heads in apparent agreement but Minato had the opposite reaction.

"That kind of attitude could be dangerous" he responded. "We don't want to appear aggressive, the last thing we want is to give the Raikage an excuse. Especially with the recent information we received."

Minato shot Fugaku a knowing look. He was referring to information Jiraiya had divulged just the day before. He had heard rumours that Kumogakure had recalled all of their Shinobi from missions in foreign lands. Fugaku had waved it off as an attempt to frighten the village and claimed it was most likely untrue. Minato, however, was not so sure. Regardless, he had continued to attempt to get in contact with A but that much needed conversation remained elusive.

"So, is that the reason you came here? Or is it just an excuse?" Minato asked, looking to make the conversation a little more light-hearted.

"I thought that a council member should make an appearance" Fugaku replied, although he stammered slightly to begin with. "With the Danzo search now officially over, I decided that I should be the one to represent the council."

Minato grinned at Fugaku's attempts to explain himself. He personally didn't see anything wrong with admitting that you wanted to watch your son do well but then again he wasn't the head of such a noble clan. Fugaku was loath to show any sign of weakness and he supposed that such emotions were therefore disallowed.

"So, we're going to be seeing some action today?" Asuma enquired, sounding hopeful.

"Yes" Minato replied, after a moment's hesitation. "I think it's best for us to be cautious in the current climate, we'll hold preliminaries today and have a final exam out of who is left."

"Yes! There's nothing more youthful than a good natured but competitive battle!" Gai declared, giving a thumb up to no one in particular. "So, what do you say Kakashi? Think you're guys have a chance of standing up to mine?"

Kakashi appeared to be lost in thought for a moment, before he slowly looked over to Gai and nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. He then turned to Minato as Gai turned his back to the group and cursed Kakashi's "coolness" under his breath.

"Shouldn't we discuss this with someone from Suna?"

"Their only representative that's still here is Ibiki and he's escorting the Genin team from Suna here" Minato explained. "Besides, he's already indicated that they are happy to follow whatever we decide so there shouldn't be a problem there. So now, I guess we have just have to wait for the Genin to arrive."

As if waiting for a queue, a loud yell suddenly reverberated across the room, followed by several far quieter pieces of chatter. Minato recognised it as Naruto's voice at once and he shook his head in mock shame. He just wondered how many more times he'd have to do that over the course of the day.

* * *

The first thing Naruto noticed as he walked into the building was that it was quite warm, which was surprising given that the hall was so wide and open. He briefly wondered how that was even possible, while making a note to ask Shikamaru later.

The hall itself was remarkably plain. The walls were a dull and uninspiring green colour, while the ground was covered with large grey tiles. There were balconies spanning all four sides of the room with the focus being at the very front with the statue of a hand seal that contained a seat. There, Naruto spotted his father, who he waved to as he walked in. Minato returned the favour, giving him a reassuring wink as he did so.

"So, we're just here for an announcement right?" Naruto wondered out loud, while staring at Shikamaru.

"That's what Asuma Sensei told us" Shikamaru responded. "I thought there'd be more teams here though, Sasuke's team is the only other one that qualified apart from the guys we finished with. We must have got lucky I guess."

Naruto didn't approve of Shikamaru's negative attitude towards their achievement, but it was something that he had begrudgingly come to accept.

"So it's us" Naruto began speaking, as he started counting on his fingers. "Hinata's cousins' team, Gaara's team and Sasuke's team."

Naruto showed his usual disdain with the final team he spoke of. Even though he was stood very close by, Sasuke didn't seem to notice what Naruto said, instead he was engrossed in a conversation with his team. Naruto attempted to listen in, but the talk was cut short by an announcement from a sickly looking Jonin.

"Could I have your attention please?" he said meekly. "My name is Hayate Gekko and I'm going to be the Proctor for the Third Exam. However, before I explain the exam there's something we need to do first."

Hayate's words sparked some interest among the Genin but a strict cough from Minato quickly settled them down. Naruto knew that, despite his reputation as a kind and gentle leader, everyone in the village knew that they had to respect his father.

"Due to the number of participants that are participating in the Third Exam this year, we have decided to hold a round of Preliminary Matches before the final exam."

"_Preliminary Matches?"_ Naruto wondered.

"It'll be like a mini knockout tournament" Shikamaru answered the question that Naruto hadn't even vocalised.

"So when will it be?" Temari enquired from the back.

"Right now" Hayate replied, to the shock of the Genin.

Another chorus broke out, but this time it was much louder. There were cries about how it seemed "unfair" and that they needed more time. Hayate's attempts to silence them went ignored but Minato was much more successful with just a raised palm.

"The matchups shall begin immediately," Hayate wheezed. "The matches will be decided through a random selection with the results displayed on the screen above us. Without further ado, we shall begin."

The black screen, that had been static until that point, suddenly burst into life. Two sets of names burst on the screen, flashing through each Genin's name in turn. Naruto's heart skipped a beat every time he noticed his own name show up and he was sure that everyone else was doing the same at that moment. It wasn't that he was scared or nervous per se, it was just all so sudden. He'd expected to be told a few formalities and then be home in time for lunch. Still, he guessed that it was good preparation for when he becomes a Chunin.

Finally, the movement on the scoreboard stopped and displayed just two names.

"The first match will be Kankuro of Sunagakure and Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure."

Naruto's stomach rumbled involuntarily but after a moment to get over the shock, he felt quite pleased with himself. He never got the impression that Kankuro was particularly impressive despite his attempts at intimidation.

"Can everyone else apart from the two competitors please take a place in the viewing gallery" Hayate said.

Everyone did as they were told, slowly crawling their way upwards. Naruto noticed that Asuma was walking in his direction, despite attempts to disguise his movements as random. He walked behind Naruto, and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"We're all routing for you" Asuma whispered. "Although, I doubt that you'll need it."

Naruto grinned at the ground and just gave a simple thumb up as Asuma walked off. Kankuro took a place opposite Naruto, before he took the heavily bandaged object from his shoulder and placed it on the ground. The bang was surprisingly sound but Naruto didn't let it faze him.

"I have a couple of rules to go over" Hayate coughed. "The first is that the match will continue until one combatant is either unable to continue or when I decide the match should be over. You can use any weapons you see fit. Are there any questions?"

Naruto didn't respond, he simply glanced at Kankuro with a smirk, although to his credit, Kankuro replied in kind. From the gallery above, Naruto could hear cheers from his teammates and people from his village. He noticed that Gaara, unlike his sister, was remaining completely neutral.

"Begin!"

Naruto was caught off guard for a second and consequently had to dive desperately out of the way of incoming Shiruken. This gave Kankuro enough time to unwrap the bandages and reveal the puppet that lurked beneath.

"What is that thing?" Naruto wondered aloud.

At first glance, Naruto thought that the puppet looked like a human with a cloak. However, at further inspection he saw a more grotesque figure. The puppet had several limbs protruding from various parts of its body and three eyes on its face. It resembled something out of Naruto's childhood nightmares and he was sure that was no accident.

"Now that you've seen crow, you have no chance" Kankuro sniggered.

Strings of blue chakra emerged from Kankuro's fingertips and attached themselves to different parts of the puppets body. The unmoving body suddenly sparked into life and floated ominously in the air.

"So, you're attacking me with that?" Naruto taunted. "How cowardly, but whatever. I'll beat both your little puppet and you into a pulp. _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Naruto was soon joined by ten clones and they quickly took up position, surrounding Kankuro. The Suna Genin seemed remarkably unfazed by this; in fact he seemed to be smiling.

"Not good enough I'm afraid," he growled.

Without warning, Crow attacked at incredible speed. Naruto's clones were helpless to defend themselves against the various weapons attached to the puppet and it didn't take long before the clones all vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto himself was lucky to avoid the strikes, although he noticed that the kunai he was holding was drenched in a liquid.

"I see" Naruto commented, as he took in the potency of the liquid. "Those weapons are laced with a poison aren't they? Sorry for stealing a catchphrase Shikamaru, but that's troublesome."

"_I can't stay close to that puppet that's for sure_" Naruto thought. "_It moves far quicker than I can because it isn't limited by its body. But that also means that it'll be tough to get past it and attack Kankuro directly. What I need to do is stop him from controlling it, but how?_"

Naruto absent-mindedly reached in to his weapons pouch and pulled out his kunai. It was as if his hand was automatically attracted to it.

"_I wonder if…"_

Crow launched another attack and this time there was only one Naruto to target. He was able to block the puppets first attack with the kunai and then expertly dodged the follow up strike. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep up with the puppet for long, he made a desperate lunge and flipped over the top of Crow. He then came back down swinging his kunai but the puppet moved forward to dodge the blow.

"You're defenceless!" Kankuro declared.

He then pulled his fingers to make an attack but to his shock, nothing happened. He tried again and it provided the same result. Naruto was satisfied to see the dull shock on his opponents face.

"_It actually worked!_" Naruto realised, as he stared down at the blue glow that surrounded the blade he was holding. "_I was actually able to channel the chakra through this and cut the strings. Now, he's the one that's defenceless."_

Not wasting any time, Naruto launched his own attack at Kankuro. He ran up and pulled back his kunai, ready to strike. However, just before he could connect, Crow blocked his path. The puppet then knocked Naruto back with a stray leg, which luckily for Naruto did not contain a deadly weapon.

"What, you didn't think I was capable of re-attaching the strings?" Kankuro jeered. "Face it, you aren't quick enough to get to me."

Despite the taunts, Naruto stood up smiling. He instinctively looked up towards Shikamaru, who was doing the same thing. That confirmed that his teammate had noticed it as well and reassured Naruto.

"This time I really will end it" Naruto said, as he made yet more clones, which all spoke in unison. "I've got you figured out!"

Kankuro was suitably angered by this and reacted by making another attack with Crow. He furiously struck down the clones so quickly that the white smoke blinded him. He then found that he couldn't move Crow anymore and made a horrible realisation.

"Damn it" he muttered, as he withdrew a kunai of his own. "I'll have to fight him off until I can see Crow again."

An attack from Naruto never came. Instead, when the smoke cleared, Kankuro was left with a strange sight. There were two copies of Crow lay lifeless on the ground side by side. The copy was so impressive that even Kankuro couldn't tell the difference.

"Your transformation jutsu is pretty good, I'll give you that," Kankuro said. "However, your logic is not. What, you think that I'll just walk over to you to inspect the puppets? Definitely not, I'm not an idiot. I have a much better idea."

Kankuro withdrew several Shiruken from his pouch and aimed them at the nearest puppet.

"These Shiruken won't do any serious damage to the real Crow, but they will kill even a transformed person. All I have to do is aim this at your head; if you dodge then I'll know it's you. If you don't, then you're the other one."

Kankuro then launched his Shiruken. Just before the Shuriken reached the puppets head, it lunged out of the way. After yelling in delight, Kankuro quickly attached his strings to the other puppet and pulled it back in defence. However, as he was so focused on his opponent he didn't notice what was happening with his own puppet.

Crow's chest suddenly opened up to reveal Naruto hiding inside. With Kankuro preoccupied, once Naruto got close enough he jumped out of his hiding place and hit Kankuro square in the jaw. The hit was strong enough to completely take Kankuro out; he merely lay on the ground, struggling to move.

"Kankuro is unable to continue" Hayate said, after almost a minute of waiting. "Naruto Uzumaki is the winner and he will advance to the next round."

Almost everyone in the room duly cheered but Naruto didn't respond right away. Instead, he walked over to Kankuro, who was being placed on a stretcher by a medical team.

"My Dad says that you should always see if your opponent is okay after a spar" Naruto informed him.

"What did you do?" Kankuro stuttered. "How did you do that?"

"I noticed it when I attacked you after cutting the strings the first time" Naruto replied honestly. "Even though you can attach your strings quickly, it takes a little more time to attach them to the devices on the puppet doesn't it? So, what I did was hide inside the puppet while I was still covered by the smoke and transformed my last remaining clone to look like your puppet. The rest should be obvious."

Kankuro smiled ruefully during the explanation, shaking his head as he did so.

"Wow, I guess you know my weaknesses better than I do" he chuckled. "You know, I might have been wrong about you kid. Maybe you actually have earned all that credit that Gaara gives you."

* * *

"I declare this match a draw!"

Minato clapped heartily at the end of the third match. Shino and Temari both required assistance to get back on their feet after providing a fantastic showing of their powers. Beside him, even Fugaku was cheering although Minato suspected that was due to Sasuke's quick disposal of Shikamaru in the previous match.

"It's been years since I've seen a group with as much quality as this" Fugaku commented. "They are all very impressive."

Minato certainly wasn't going to argue against that. Naruto's clever use of transformation had set the tone for the battles and each one of them had showcased both sound tactics and powerful jutsu for their age. He'd even allowed himself to become absorbed in it to the extent that he forgot about his other worries for a while.

"The next match will be Gaara of Sunagakure and Rock Lee of Konohagakure" Hayate declared.

"_This will be interesting" _Minato thought. "_I wonder how Gaara has improved, judging by what the Kazekage claims, he's become quite powerful._"

Even though he intended to focus on Gaara, Gai's student was the first to catch Minato's eye. He couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Lee didn't just resemble his Sensei in attitude. He felt as if he had been taken back in time and was watching his own teams first Chunin Exams all over again.

"Begin!"

Lee's flurry of punches was easily dealt with by Gaara's sand. A pattern then developed over the next couple of minutes, namely that Lee would unleash a barrage of hits which Gaara's sand was able to block. It was mostly all predictable, Gaara had a perfect defence against Gai's taijutsu style.

"That's interesting" Minato said, as he studied Gaara closely. "See the way he moves his arms around?"

"Yeah?" Fugaku replied slowly. "He's just directing the sand isn't he?"

"No, the sand provides an automatic defence regardless of what he does" Minato explained. "The thing with the arms is for show, it doesn't add anything materially."

"Seems like he's just wasting his stamina to me, how ridiculous" Fugaku said.

"No, that's not it. It's not to do with helping him in this fight" Minato responded. "He knows how embarrassing it would be to be unable to hit someone who is standing still, he wants to spare his opponent the shame."

The fight appeared to take a turn when Lee removed his leg weights. The sand began to struggle to keep up with the outstanding speed, Lee was moving so quickly that he resembled a blur. Minato had little trouble keeping up; after all he had battled opponents far faster. Although, he could see that the Genin were completely dazed by it all.

Finally, Lee was able to break through. He landed a kick straight on Gaara's face, who then gasped in pain. Minato looked closely and saw a gleam in his eye. He placed his hand around a paper seal in his pouch and prepared to move.

"_Just in case_" Minato thought, although he hoped that he would be able to stay seated. "_The last thing I need is a rampaging Jinchuriki in such a tight space._"

To Minato's surprise, the look in his eye subsided. Gaara got back to his feet and continued the fight, where he eventually ended up as the winner. After the match, the loudest cheer of all came from Naruto, who ran down to congratulate his friend. That's when he noticed that Gaara's face really calmed.

"_The container for the Shukaku and the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi_" Minato said to himself, as Naruto tried desperately to shake Gaara's sand. "_If those two, whose beasts notoriously dislike each other, can get along so well, then surely we can build bridges with Kumo? For once Naruto, it looks like I have something to learn from you._"

* * *

"So, you ready Hinata?"

The final match of the day was already upon them. Gaara's victory over Lee was followed by a drawn match between Ino and TenTen, which left both Kunoichi bitterly disappointed. This left Hinata to face her cousin Neji in the final battle of the day. Naruto was excited, although part of the reason was because he wanted to start his training for the finals.

"Will both combatants please come down?"

Hinata quickly reacted and reached the ground first. Naruto looked over and spotted Neji simply standing still, looking towards the ground.

"Neji Hyuga, can you please-"

"I give up" Neji called out, bitterness tainting his voice.

The room fell silent and everyone simply stared at the young Hyuga, who continued to look to the floor.

"Come on Neji" Gai said, trying to enthuse his student. "You've worked so hard for this, don't let some tradition ruin it for you."

"It's not a tradition, that couldn't be any further from the truth" Neji replied, shaking his head profusely. "It is a duty, given to any member of the branch family from birth. My duty is clear; I am to honour main household. I cannot fight against the heir to the household, that would be against my clan."

Naruto understood where he was coming from. He knew how complicated the clans of Konoha could be, every week his father seemed to have knew disputes to deal with regarding clan matters. Surprisingly, Sasuke seemed to be far more annoyed about this.

"So, what you're saying is that you're going to let these rules put you down? You won't fight someone who should be above in social class? That seems a little pathetic in my book" Sasuke commented. "Whatever class they hold above you shouldn't matter, it's better to against convention rather than have no pride in yourself."

Naruto could practically feel Sasuke's eyes bearing in to him but he pretended not to notice.

"Neji, please come down" Hinata called out.

"Think about what your father would say if he knew" Neji replied quickly. "Imagine what he would do."

Neji moved his hand up towards his forehead for a moment as he said that, before dropping his arms back down by his side.

"I can deal with that, just come down" Hinata demanded, a little more confidence shining through in her voice. "I would hate to think that I'd be denying you like this."

After a moment's consideration, as well as cheers from everyone in the room, Neji finally relented. The two Hyuga adopted a similar stance opposite each other.

"Begin!"

Naruto had heard a lot about the supposed genius of the Hyuga clan. Hinata had spoken about him several times and his name was somewhat well known around the village. However, on the evidence before him, Naruto couldn't understand why. If anything, Hinata's Gentle Fist techniques were superior to her cousins.

"He's pulling his punches" Shikamaru said, coming to Naruto's rescue again. "You can see it, there's no strain in his muscles or heavy breathing. He still doesn't want to fight her."

"No surprise really" Asuma spoke up. "He's been thinking one way his entire life, it would be almost impossible to change that in one minute."

"I never knew the Hyuga were quite so strict with their branch clan" Kakashi added. "That boy must feel like a slave to the upper household, like nothing he can do would be good enough. He's stuck as second best no matter what."

Naruto had noticed Sasuke's anger increase as everyone spoke. By the time Kakashi had finished, he was clenching the bar in front of him so tightly that his knuckles were pure white. So it was no shock when he finally let it go.

"Damn it, when are you going to start fighting!" Sasuke screamed at Neji. "Look, I understand how you feel and that's why I'm confused. You feel like your being looked down, feel like you aren't good enough. You know that there's always someone ahead of you and you can't do anything about it. Except you can, you can fight your way through it. You now have the chance to prove yourself, on the battlefield where no one can judge except by your skill alone. You can fight as an equal and finally be recognised!"

Sasuke's words had a big effect, possibly bigger than what was intended. Neji yelled out aggressively and began to hit much harder and much quicker. Hinata was powerless to stop him and soon she was down, completely unable to fight back. Neji's face sported a look of horror and he quickly tried to say something to Hayate, but it was too late.

"Neji Hyuga is the winner," he declared.

* * *

Minato stood back proudly as he watched the Genin line up before their Proctor. Sasuke, Neji and Gaara joined his son in the finals. Minato thought that it was smaller amount than he would have liked but he was a little relieved as well. Although, that was for the rather selfish reason that this vastly improved Naruto's chances of victory.

"You will each draw a number," Hayate said, before pointing towards a recently erected board that contained the bracket. "This number will determine your place. Number 1 will fight Number 4 and Number 2 fights Number 3. Couldn't be anymore simple than that."

The results of the draw meant that Sasuke would take on Neji and Naruto would fight Gaara. Naruto was quite clearly delighted with outcome, while Gaara seemed much more conflicted.

"Oh come on Gaara, this is the best way to test each other's strength" Naruto said, although Gaara seemed unconvinced. "It won't effect our friendship, seriously just try to enjoy it."

Fugaku walked up to Sasuke, who was in a conversation with Kakashi.

"Hey Dad!" Sasuke said excitedly. "Guess what? Kakashi said he's going to train me for the exam!"

"Really?" Fugaku said curtly. "And does Kakashi realise that such a thing would break Uchiha tradition? We always train our own for the exam. What makes you think that I will allow such a thing?"

Sasuke seemed disheartened by the answer, but Kakashi bravely spoke up.

"Well, it wouldn't bother me too much, I do have a couple of new jutsu that I need to perfect" Kakashi began, to Sasuke's dismay. "However, there's a certain jutsu I was hoping to teach Sasuke, something I can hand down if you will."

Fugaku raised his eyes at Kakashi's words, before he broke out with a smirk.

"Well, that would be beneficial" he said, with a laugh. "Fine, I will allow it. However, there is a certain jutsu I must teach you."

Minato saw that Fugaku noticed him staring, so he quickly walked over to Naruto.

"Looks like we have some training to do" he said, winking at his son. "I think I can afford to take a break to teach you a couple of things."

Naruto's eyes lit up at the suggestion at first, but then he turned towards his team, who were stood a little further away.

"But I was going to train with them."

Minato was surprised by Naruto's concern, but he was certainly not upset by it. He smiled, and ruffled his son's hair playfully.

"Well, you're quite lucky then" he chuckled. "Looks like you'll be getting double the training, doesn't it?"

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, the outline of a man stood glowing inside a cave. He was stood completely still with his arms folded and eyes closed. He slowly opened his eyes and moved his head upwards. As he did this, nine other figures appeared around him. He looked around at each of them in turn, although he didn't speak for the first minute or so.

"Welcome" he said, with a deep drawl. "It has been a long time since we met, hasn't it?"

"Indeed, I was beginning to wonder whether we'd ever be meeting again" the tallest of the group said. "It was getting a little boring sitting around and waiting."

"Come now Kisame," another said softly, his yellow eyes glaring out from the darkness. "I'm sure life as a rogue Shinobi can't be that boring, especially when you have the ANBU from Kiri after you."

"Enough" the first said, reasserting his authority on the group. "I have reconvened the Akatsuki for a reason. Now, Orochimaru what progress has been made with our plans?"

Orochimaru laughed softly at the question.

"Things are going exactly as we want them to" Orochimaru chuckled. "Acting with alerting Jiraiya's contacts wasn't easy but as ever, that fool put his faith in the wrong people. By the end of the month, things should be in motion."

"Good" was the low reply. "It has taken a long time, but we are now so close. Very soon, this world shall finally know what true pain is."

* * *

**A/N: A bit more of a wait, I do apologise. Hopefully the alerts work for this one though, if not then you might not be reading this until I write Chapter 11. **

**Next Chapter: The Fight Begins**


	11. The Fight Begins

Chapter 11: The Fight Begins

The day had finally arrived. Minato got up earlier than usual that morning, enjoying the unfamiliar sound of silence in his home. The sun had only just risen over the village, creating an aesthetically pleasing blend of colours in the early morning sky. Minato took a moment to savour it, as he knew that he wouldn't have much spare time that day.

He quickly showered and dressed before checking in on Naruto on his way out of the door.

"_Fast asleep! Unbelievable!" _Minato thought. "_I think I'm more anxious than he is. Or maybe he's just exhausted from all the training I've put him through? Whatever the case I best not wake him, he's going to need all the energy he can get today."_

Minato walked past his own room on the way to the front door and caught a quick glimpse inside. It was so tempting to just go back to bed for another hour or two, even if it was just to lie next to Kushina for a little while longer. Yet, he knew that he just didn't have the time. He'd gotten up early for a reason, and with a slightly dented conviction he walked out the door.

As he walked through the streets of the village, Minato noted that it was already quite warm outside. It was to be expected in Konoha in the summer but that didn't stop it from being slightly irritating. Although, it was still nothing compared to the sweltering heat of Suna and Minato was thankful that he at least didn't have to deal with that.

As he continued to head towards his destination, he noticed that he wasn't the only person awake. Several shopkeepers were already outside, cleaning and decorating their premises for a huge day of celebration ahead. There were also several Chunin out and about; putting up banners and flags to create the carnival atmosphere that traditionally came with the final exam. He gave everyone either a polite nod or a small "hello" on his way past. Even amongst the very few people he had spoken to thus far, he could sense the excitement. He just wished that he could join in with their enthusiasm; all he had was a sense of trepidation and fright in the pit of his stomach.

"_Now, where was the exact spot?_" Minato wondered, as he walked up the top of the hill.

It had been many years since he had to have a meeting in that specific place and, even though he usually had a very good memory, Minato had to admit that he was struggling. He felt slightly guilty, after all, the place had meant a lot to him once upon a time. Heck, in truth it still meant a lot. After a few minutes of trudging through a forest like area, he finally found it.

It was just as beautiful as he remembered. It was like something out of a children's storybook; with the luscious green grass, a small waterfall pouring into a stunningly blue lake and the sounds of woodland creatures scurrying about. Best of all, one of his favourite people in the world was sitting next to the lake, with two mugs in his hands.

"Seems like Kakashi is rubbing off on you a little" Jiraiya chuckled, as Minato walked over to join him. "It's not like you to be late."

"I guess my memory isn't quite what it was" Minato replied in an equally good-natured tone. "So, this what it feels like when you start getting old, eh Sensei?"

"You're a little more cocky than you used to be" Jiraiya commented, still laughing. "Whatever happened to that polite little kid, the one who used to do everything I said without complaint and hung on to my every word?"

"He's still here deep down" Minato said, as he took the mug intended for him. "I guess he's just had to hide for a while, he never was that good at dealing with confrontation that involved words."

Without thinking, he took a large swig of the drink he had just been given. He then promptly spat it back out and started coughing.

"Some things never change" Jiraiya laughed, as he gave his student a pat on the back. "You never were a drinker, I think you did the same thing when you first tried Sake now that I think of it."

"That was embarrassing" Minato wheezed, his throat still burning. "I was following your advice about how to impress Kushina, suffice it to say it's the last time I did that."

"The way to get women was the one thing I couldn't teach you" Jiraiya mused, clearly starting to get lost in nostalgia. "Everything else, you learned at this very spot."

Minato grinned as he turned his mind back through the decades. He could recall the many days and evenings spent there, hearing Jiraiya's cheers as he showed off one technique after another, laughing with the toads as Sensei recounted one of his many legendary stories and generally preparing and looking forward to the road ahead. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't slightly yearn for those days, back when everything was so simple, so easy. He had no responsibilities or worries and all he had to think about was learning the next jutsu.

"Everything did seem easier back then," Jiraiya said, as if he had read Minato's mind. "Maybe it was, take the Chunin Exams for example. Even as recently as when your students took them, they were a much more subdued affair."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing that they've changed" Minato replied. "We should celebrate them, it's a big day in a Genin's life. If there's one thing I'm looking forward to today, it's to see Naruto's face as he steps into that stadium. To see his face light up in excitement as he hears the crowd chant his name, for me to be overwhelmed by feelings of pride. It might make this whole thing worth it."

He could see Jiraiya smile as he took another sip of his Sake. His Sensei then raised his glass towards him.

"Good luck to Naruto then" Jiraiya proposed as a toast. "Although if he's anything like you, he won't need it. Well, unless he's going after women that is!"

Minato shook his head disapprovingly, although he wasn't too serious about it. He wanted to take things lightly as they sat there; Jiraiya had asked him to meet him here "for olds times sake" after all. He knew that it was an excuse to try to keep him calm; it had bee a testing few months. Still, he had one bit of official business he needed to discuss.

"Any news from your contacts in Kumo?"

Jiraiya considered the question a moment, trying to weight up whether to answer or not. Eventually he gave in, just as Minato knew he would. He never liked letting anyone down, a trait that Minato had gladly picked up from him.

"Nothing out of the ordinary there" he said slowly. "The impression that they get is that the Raikage is looking to shake things up. He wants to surpass Konoha, so he's making drastic changes, which explains his somewhat erratic behaviour as of late."

"I see" Minato responded, as he felt a small wave of relief sweep over him.

At the very least it appeared that everything was well for the time being and he could enjoy the day to come. He decided to accept Jiraiya's toast and even took another sip of his Sake. He was sure that it was going to be a good day.

* * *

"So, Dad isn't here?"

Naruto was quite disappointed to find that his father had already left by the time he woke up. He felt stupid for feeling a little upset; after all while he was growing up Minato was often gone early in the morning. He supposed that he'd just gotten used to seeing his Dad so often over the past month and he'd hoped to get some words of encouragement on the most important morning of his life.

"He is the Hokage Naruto, you know how busy he is today" Kushina said sympathetically, as she knelt down before her son and adjusted his headband. "Still I'm here aren't I? Am I not good enough now?"

Naruto laughed and then did something he hadn't done voluntarily since he was very young. He reached out and hugged his mother tightly. Feeling her hugging him back was so very calming and just what he needed to settle his nerves that were threatening to consume him.

A loud knock on the door interrupted the moment and Naruto heard Asuma shout to him loudly.

"I suppose I better go" Naruto muttered. "Shikamaru will moan if he has to stand around waiting, then he'll moan when we have to walk to the stadium."

"Well, I'll see you when I get there" she replied softly. "I'll be in the crowd with Mikoto so you might not be able to spot me, but just know that I'll be watching over you and rooting you on."

"I knew that anyway," Naruto said, before psyching himself up a little. "Just make sure you get there soon or else you won't get a good view of me kicking everyone's ass!"

With that, Naruto gave Kushina one last quick hug before running to the door. He just wished that he were truly as confident as he sounded because in his head he was nothing but terrified of the events to come. Of course, this didn't stop him telling the exact same lie to his team.

"Ever the modest one, aren't we Naruto?" Shikamaru deadpanned. "Part of me doesn't want you to win you know? I can't even imagine how massive that ego of yours will be."

Asuma and Hinata both shot him a discouraging look, causing him to lazily go back on his words and protest that he was only making a joke. Naruto was the only one able to conjure a laugh at the words, appreciating Shikamaru's honesty for once.

"You just need to remember everything we went through over the last month and you should be fine," Asuma said. "The main thing you have to worry about is knowing when to use which jutsu but that's just a case of keeping your head."

Naruto nodded in agreement but in all honesty his mind was a million miles away. He remained in this state of pondering as they walked towards the stadium. He largely ignored the noise of the crowd as they navigated their way through the packed streets and he didn't turn his head to take in the decorations. He wasn't even taken in by the beautiful aromas emanating from the café's around the village. He was determined that nothing was going to distract him.

"Well, here it is" Asuma said, as they reached a back door to the side of the enormous stadium. Naruto could hear the excessive amount of chatter coming from within and the thought of how many people were in there made him feel sick.

"Only Naruto and I can go in, sorry guys."

"Yeah we know" Shikamaru muttered.

"Good luck Naruto!" Hinata said, giving her teammate a huge grin.

"Good luck then I guess" Shikamaru added a few seconds later, when he realised that everyone was looking at him. "Just promise me something though."

"What?"

"Don't let that ass Sasuke win, whatever you do."

The four of them shared a small laugh before Shikamaru and Hinata gave a final goodbye and left to take a seat in the stand. Asuma and Naruto walked through the door and entered a narrow hallway.

"According to your Dad there should be a room just around the corner" Asuma said, as he lead Naruto through the hall. "That's where we all wait for a while until the matches are ready to start."

"I never heard about this before" Naruto said. "Did your Sensei have to do this?"

Asuma shook his head slowly, as they reached the end of the hall.

"It's something your father has introduced this year. I think he wants there to be a calming influence on the contestants before they have to go out there" Asuma commented. "Anyway, here we are."

Naruto walked through the doorway and in to a small, plain room. There were a few chairs, a table with water bottles and snacks, all of which appeared to be left untouched, and plain white walls with no windows. Naruto wondered whether it was once used as an interrogation room, it certainly would fit the bill for it.

There were already six people in the room by the time Naruto joined them. Neji stood off to the corner alone with his eyes closed in concentration. Gaara was having a quiet conversation with his Sensei and he flashed Naruto a weak smile as he walked in. To their left, Kakashi was engaged in a conversation with Gai, as Sasuke stood close by.

Naruto and Sasuke caught eyes for a brief second but with their intense gaze, they communicated everything that needed to be said between them. Naruto also noticed that Sasuke's outfit was a slightly darker shade of blue and he had adorned his forearms with metal plates. He also saw a kodachi strapped to his back. He recognised the outfit from somewhere but at that moment he couldn't quite place it.

"Well, look what we have here" Asuma chuckled. "Didn't I think we'd see you until just before Sasuke's fight, Kakashi."

"Yeah well, Fugaku can be quite insistent" Kakashi commented. "He demanded I get here on time, he even came and got me from my apartment before I could leave this morning."

"What a smart guy" Asuma deadpanned, before turning to Gai. "So, why are you over here and not with your student?"

"I've learned a lot about Neji after being his Sensei for two years. One of those things is that I know he's not like Lee and myself" Gai said, sounding slightly disappointed by that fact. "He needs everything to be quiet and calm, that's when he's at his most effective. My youthful charm gets in the way of that, so we agreed to just let him prepare on his own."

Naruto eyed Neji for a moment but he didn't receive a response, the Hyuga steadfastly refused to open his eyes and acknowledge anyone. Sasuke and Gaara were both similarly unresponsive, the Sensei's were the only one's in the room doing any talking.

"Seems like only yesterday we were going through all this for the first time" Asuma sighed. "Where did those years go?"

"Hey, we're still young" Gai said defensively. "We don't have to get lost in our memories just yet, we can still look to the future!"

Asuma and Kakashi just looked at each other and laughed.

"If I remember rightly, I won that exam" Kakashi added. "We had a pretty interesting final fight, didn't we Gai?"

Mercifully, Hayate walked in to the room and interrupted another of Gai's "youthful" speeches.

"Can the first two combatants please follow me and make their way to the stadium? The remaining contestants and their Sensei can go to the viewing booth to watch the battle."

Naruto went with Asuma, Gaara and his Sensei towards the viewing area. He looked back and saw Kakashi engaged in a tense conversation with Sasuke. Neji was being given a most youthful speech from Gai, who had apparently decided to drop his earlier tactic of leaving his student alone. Neji didn't seem to appreciate this.

A few minutes later and Naruto walked out on to a balcony high up in the stadium. It was the first chance he had to see the stadium and, more importantly, the size of the crowd. He found it incredible; he couldn't believe just how many people there were. Some people held banners, many were stood up and cheering. It made him thankful that he didn't have to fight first; he just might have frozen under the pressure.

"It's a lot, isn't it?" Gaara said softly, as he joined Naruto at the edge of the balcony.

Naruto could feel temptation rising within him. An opportunity had presented itself; he could plant a seed of doubt in Gaara's mind right there, before the battle even started. It would make it easier to win the battle for sure; Gaara wasn't the most confident person at the best of times. It was the kind of tactic that a real Shinobi would use.

"Eh, it's not a big deal" Naruto shrugged. "I think I'll just block them all out, pretend they aren't there. Besides, once you're in the middle of battle that's all you'll be able to focus on anyway."

The young Suna Shinobi seemed to perk up after that. As Minato and the Kazekage made speeches regarding the importance of bonds between villages and introducing the candidates, Kakashi and Gai walked in. They were both smirking and shaking each other's hands confidently.

"What's this about?" Naruto enquired, but Kakashi blew him off with a vague answer regarding "Jonin things."

"Here come our boys" Gai declared, having to practically shout over the sound of the screaming crowd.

Sasuke walked with swagger and confidence, he even gave a lazy wave to the crowd. Neji seemed to prefer a more laid back approach, although Naruto didn't detect any sign of nerves. In fact, it's possible he was the more confident of the two.

"Here we go" Asuma said, as Hayate dropped his arm to declare the beginning of the match.

Sasuke made the first move, throwing a handful of Shiruken. Neji blocked with a kunai before making his counter. Sasuke jumped backwards continually while launching more and more projectiles as he did so. Neji was unfazed by this for the most part, although his apparent frustration at failing to catch Sasuke was starting to show.

"Seems your kid knows how dangerous Neji is in close quarter combat" Gai said. "He's wise to stay away but he can't do so forever."

"He doesn't intend to, just watch" Kakashi replied defensively. "It's all part of the plan."

Sasuke made seals and readied his first jutsu. After breathing in heavily, he unleashed a burst of fire. Naruto was stunned; it was way larger than anything he had ever produced before. He could even feel the heat from so far away. He knew that Neji was in trouble; it would be tough to dodge something so wide. To Naruto's surprise, Neji didn't have to.

"_Hakkesho Kaiten!_"

Neji disappeared in a swirl of powerful chakra that repelled all of Sasuke's flames with ease. When he stopped moving, there was a fairly large crater left in the dirt.

"I don't believe it" Kakashi gasped. "We never accounted for the possibility that Neji would be able to do that. Did Hizashi break tradition and teach Neji those techniques?"

Gai shook his head proudly.

"Hizashi doesn't know those jutsu, they are reserved for the main clan after all" Gai said. "Neji learned how to do this himself."

Naruto was impressed. The jutsu seemed very difficult, yet Neji learned it without any assistance. He didn't think he would have been able to master any of the jutsu he had recently learned without the help he received.

"Looks like Hiashi doesn't believe that" Kakashi noted, as he nodded towards the two Hyuga, who were involved in a rather heated discussion. "Regardless, Sasuke should have what it takes to get around this, he just has to be smarter."

At first, it seemed that Kakashi's prediction would be proven to be incorrect. All of Sasuke's attempts to hit Neji proved futile, Neji's defence was impossible to get around. Kakashi looked to be a little worried about it and tried to change the subject to settle his nerves.

"I'm surprised that someone like Neji would do this" he commented, looking over at Gai. "He's so into the rituals of the clan, so passionate about his role. It's quite out of character for him to go against them like this."

Gai stared at the ground, a guilty look spread across his face.

"I might have given him a little push," he said slowly. "That boy is possibly the most talented I've ever taught, it seemed cruel that he couldn't reach his full potential. One day, he was explaining to me what he believed the theory was behind the techniques and I suggested he try it out. Before we knew it, he'd mastered them all."

"Well, whatever the case just watch what Sasuke's about to do" Kakashi said. "He's about to end this match."

This time, Kakashi's prophecy came true. Sasuke's speed suddenly increased dramatically, Neji could barely keep up. Every time he finished rotating, Sasuke would dive in and Neji could only barely dodge. After multiple attempts, Sasuke seemed to have had enough a withdrawn his kodachi. When Sasuke attacked, Neji blocked with his own kunai.

"Seems thing didn't go to plan" Gai laughed.

"Nope, this match is as good as over" Kakashi responded simply.

It took a couple of seconds to realise what he meant. Sasuke's kodachi started to give off a blue glow, before sparks of lightning surrounded it. It then cut clean through Neji's kunai and the tip of the blade struck Neji's torso. The young Hyuga was left on the ground and unable to move.

"Such chakra control" Asuma gasped, mesmerized by what had happened. "Naruto, you've really got some competition here. Wait, this means you taught Sasuke-"

"That's right" Kakashi nodded. "I also taught him how to channel it, to a certain extent. I only had a month after all."

Hayate then declared Sasuke the winner. The response to this was deafening, the crowd was clearly impressed by what they had seen. Naruto could feel the pressure on him increase, as son of the Hokage he would expected to top that.

"I guess it's our turn then" Gaara whispered, as he moved to go down to the arena.

"Yeah" Naruto stammered, as he felt sweat fall from his brow. "I guess it is."

* * *

Minato clapped loudly as his son walked in to the ground. He felt that he needed the encouragement; he could tell just by looking at him that his son was terrified. He wasn't as skilled at hiding his emotions as he thought.

"Hopefully this one lives up to the hype now" the Kazekage said. "With the short bracket this year, they need value for their money."

Minato frowned at the jibe; he'd heard nothing but this since the Kazekage found out about the qualification. Minato had felt justified at the time; he just hadn't expected that there would be two double knockouts to shorten the number of contestants.

The crowd didn't seem to have any complaints though. Everywhere he looked he saw smiling faces and heard people singing chants for their favourite contestants. Even the Shinobi seemed a little more laid back, he even thought he spotted Gai handing Kakashi a small amount of money.

"_Good luck Naruto_" Minato thought, knowing that his message would reach Naruto in some way.

Minato inhaled deeply as Hayate declared the start of the match. Naruto was cautious to begin with; he drew a few Shiruken and waited. Gaara responded in the same way, although the sight of his sand lingering in the air was much more ominous. Naruto then threw the kunai and was then quick to move. Gaara's sand predictably blocked both the Shiruken and Naruto's attempted taijutsu barrage.

"So far so good" the Kazekage laughed. "He'll have to do better than that to get past Gaara."

Minato knew that Kushina would come back with a cocky retort to that remark but he bit his tongue and simply grinned. It was nice to hear the Kazekage actually praising his son, definitely provided quite the contrast to their first meeting.

The crowd let out a gasp as Gaara caught Naruto's leg with his sand. Fortunately, Naruto was able to quickly create a clone that was able to pull him free. It was a good counter to a tricky situation but Minato knew that his son had been careless there. As the Kazekage said, he would have to do better than that.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Naruto seemed to have the idea that he would be able to overwhelm Gaara's sand with sheer numbers. This was promptly proven false as Gaara demonstrated the true extent that he could manipulate his sand. The sand came together and created a dome like structure, although the sand wasn't too compact. It completely protected him from all angles, meaning that everything Naruto did was fruitless. However, Gaara then demonstrated that he had more than simple defensive capabilities.

"That was very impressive" Minato conceded, as the sand formed small bullets that destroyed each of Naruto's clones.

"Better than even I expected" the Kazekage beamed. "He's progressed unbelievably well, I have to admit that your approach is effective."

As if to prove his father even more right, Gaara made his move. He grabbed Naruto's leg and threw him across the arena, although he did cushion the blow with more sand. Still, it was obvious that he had injured Naruto with the blow. The sand that had protected Naruto then turned on him and wrapped itself around his body. Naruto panicked and started struggling with his hands.

"No common clone will have the strength to pull him from this vice" the Kazekage was delighted to inform Minato.

"_Good job he's not going to use a clone then_" Minato grinned.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_"

Naruto slammed his palm in to the ground hard. A white smoke covered him for a few seconds, before being blown away to reveal a yellow toad a slight bit bigger than Naruto was. The toad wore some light body armour and had a small tanto attached to his waist. He grabbed Naruto and was able to beat the sand away to free his master.

"No way, someone so young!" the Kazekage yelled in shock. "How does he even have the chakra to do that?"

"Good genes from his mothers side" Minato grinned. "One of two techniques I taught him this past month, we'll see whether he has to use the other."

Naruto summoned his clones again and moved to surround Gaara. They all launched Shiruken at him from all angles, forcing him to resort to his dome of sand again. This appeared to be what Naruto was waiting for as he commanded his toad to make an attack. The toad responded by bringing his hands together and firing a jet of oil at Gaara.

"Damn it" the Kazekage cursed under his breath. "So that was his plan."

"_Very impressive Naruto_" Minato nodded. "_You used the oil to make his sand wet and far heavier. He won't be able to move it anywhere near the same amount of speed, leaving him much more open to attack._"

Naruto wasted no time in attacking a now much more vulnerable Gaara. His small army of clones moved in and attacked together, literally tearing pieces off Gaara.

"Another layer of defence?" Minato wondered aloud.

"Sand armour, Gaara uses it when he's vulnerable" the Kazekage said moodily. "The fact that he's resorted to it is worrying, he can't maintain it for long either."

Naruto proceeded to make his final move. One of his clones kicked Gaara up into the air and the rest followed. One by one they each struck a strong blow, smashing chunks of sand off each time. The attack ended with Naruto smashing his foot into Gaara's torso and Minato though he heard him scream part of his own name but was too far away to tell for sure.

"I think that's it" the Kazekage sighed. "He lost too much of the sand there, he would have felt the full force of the last blow. Oh well, he gave it a good go at least."

Hayate ended the match a few seconds later. The crowd roared once more, satisfied with what they saw and pumped for the next match. Minato stood up and clapped and had to physically restrain himself for doing anything more undignified. Although, he could spot Kushina in the crowd not showing the same concerns. Naruto, rather than acknowledge his admirers, stood by and helped Gaara on to the stretcher. The very sight brought him great joy.

"Well, this will make for a very entertaining match at least" the Kazekage commented, sounding a little more upbeat. "That Uchiha boy was also incredibly skilled, the future of your village looks very bright."

Minato was about to return the compliment when he was interrupted by the arrival of an ANBU. Judging by the way he kept his distance, Minato knew that he wanted to say something in private.

"What is it?" Minato whispered, apologetically turning his back to the Kazekage.

"Lord Hokage, we've just received a sealed letter addressed directly to you" the ANBU replied quickly.

Minato frowned in concentration. Convention dictated that he should personally go and unseal the letter but he also knew that doing so would mean that he would miss the final match.

"Okay, go and unseal the letter and report it's contents back to me immediately" Minato ordered, to the ANBU's surprise. "There's no way that I'm going to leave now, during the biggest moment of my son's life."

* * *

Naruto had been surprised by how quick he had transferred from one round to the other. He felt like complaining about how Sasuke had an advantage due to the time but soon shut up. The medics healed his injuries immediately and did such a good job that he felt no pain at all. He was even given a pill that restored his chakra, although he couldn't stand the taste. Before long, he was stood in the tunnel next to Sasuke and staring out towards the battleground once more.

"Ready for this then?" Sasuke asked, with a sly undertone.

"More ready than you that's for sure" Naruto retorted. "I've been waiting to settle things with you."

"Same here" Sasuke said dismissively. "Still, good luck all the same."

Naruto was left perplexed by Sasuke's words and didn't immediately get a response, as Minato's announcement meant that they had to go out. He walked side by side with Sasuke and was met with a deafening roar from the crowd. He looked up in to the stands, looking at the blur of people waving to him. He gave a big wave back, which brought a rapturous response from those he was looking at. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Sasuke doing the same thing. As Hayate called them over to meet in the centre, Naruto spotted a small wave of red hair in the crowd. For some reason this made him laugh, which made for a strange sight as he prepared for the fight.

"You both know the rules, so I won't bother going through them" Hayate stammered. "Just shake hands and then get ready for battle."

Naruto took Sasuke's hand and then walked closer in order to speak to him.

"What was that about wishing me luck? Are you trying to mess with my head?"

Sasuke shrugged, though not in the sly way Naruto might have expected.

"I've realised recently how stupid it is holding grudges like that, we're both Leaf Shinobi at the end of the day" Sasuke replied. "Still, don't get me wrong. I full intend to grind you into the dirt here."

Naruto grinned at the familiarity there, and silently promised that he would try to do the same. The two then took a few steps back and stared each other down. The anticipation that had been building since the start of the day quickly piqued during the few seconds before Hayate gave permission to start. Naruto had to stand on the tip of his toes to contain his excitement, he screamed at Hayate in his mind.

"Begin!"

Both young Shinobi skipped the warm up and went straight into a taijutsu slog. They ducked dodged and sent powerful punches and kicks at each other's limbs. They didn't let up for the first couple of minutes; both were determined not to give the other a second to breathe. The deadlock didn't break until five full minutes after the fight began, as Sasuke landed a decisive blow to Naruto's stomach. Naruto was sent flying backwards and landed hard on his back.

"Don't get too confident with that, just because those eyes of yours gave you an advantage" Naruto declared, pointing at Sasuke's Sharingan.

"If I were you I'd stop making excuses and pay more attention to what's going on," Sasuke replied, as he launched an inordinate amount of Shiruken.

Naruto desperately dived around and impressed even himself when he dodged each one. He was about to boast, before he noticed Sasuke move his arms.

"_What's he holdin-"?_

Naruto hadn't even seen the wires attached to the Shiruken and consequently failed to stop them from wrapping around his body, binding his arms. Sasuke drew his kodachi and Naruto knew he was in danger.

"_I have to get out of this_" Naruto thought, as he desperately wriggled his hands towards his weapons pouch.

Sasuke moved in for the win but Naruto was able to just about reach his kunai in time. Without thinking, he simply pulled the blade upwards and cut through all of the wire. He then quickly dived to avoid Sasuke's attack.

"_Luckily I grabbed the right one_" Naruto thought, as he looked at the special kunai in his hand.

During his training, Naruto had realised just how special the kunai is. He'd suspected it before hand, but he had found that everything he wanted to do was just easier when he was wielding it. He had wondered if it was built to be in tune with his chakra or something, although he also wasn't sure if that was even possible. Neither his father nor Asuma would reveal the true secret behind it. He was told that he would "realise it in time."

Whatever the reason, Naruto knew he had an advantage with the weapon. He channelled his chakra through it and attacked once again. Sasuke dodged the first few strikes but soon realised that he would have to do more than that. He withdrew his kodachi and lit it up with lightning element. The two brought their weapons together and created a small explosion of chakra.

"What?" Sasuke yelled out, as his kodachi was split clean in half.

"Learn your basic elements Sasuke" Naruto said condescendingly. "Wind beats lightning and consequently, I beat you."

"Talk about getting overconfident" Sasuke remarked. "This'll shut you up."

Sasuke made a dramatic backflip in the air. He bit into his finger and positioned himself so that his head was facing the ground. He made the required hand signs and his palm pointed towards the ground. The white smoke appeared on the battlefield once more and when it cleared, Sasuke was stood on top of a majestic hawk.

"Well, you're just full of surprises aren't you?" Naruto said.

"You're not the only one who was taught how to summon by his father" Sasuke responded. "Now then Naruto, who was it that held the advantage?"

Naruto cursed under his breath. He was right, Naruto had no way of reaching Sasuke so far off the ground and his long range ninjutsu was likely to be ineffective, especially as Sasuke has fire techniques to respond with.

"_That's it_" Naruto realised, as if a light had just turned on in his head.

He made a summon of his own and was instantaneously joined on the battlefield by the same toad as before.

"You want to overwork me Naruto?" the toad grumbled.

"Sorry Gamaki, last time today I promise" Naruto said, somewhat sincerely.

"So, it was Wind you said wasn't it?" Sasuke called down. "Well, I guess this time I have the elemental advantage. Let's see what you can do with this. _Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"_

"Now!" Naruto called out to Gamaki.

The toad responded by spitting more oil, although this time he shot a single mouthful rather than the stream he moved before. The events that followed were predictable. The oil ignited and moved towards Sasuke at alarming speed. Both the young Uchiha and his summon could properly move in time and the hawk's wing consequently caught on fire. The hawk screamed in pain and Sasuke jumped back to the ground. His summon then disappeared and he was left alone.

"How was that for a response?" Naruto asked, referring to Sasuke's taunt mere seconds before.

The crowd screamed in delight at this and Naruto even allowed himself to take a moment to show his gratitude. He wondered what he had worried about before, he was having more fun during the battle than he expected.

"I told you to pay attention!" Sasuke repeated, as he sent yet more Shiruken at Naruto.

This time he was able to actually see the wire attached to them and shook his head, appalled at Sasuke's desperation.

"The same trick won't work twice," Naruto yelled back, as he deflected the Shiruken with his own.

"Who says it's the same trick?" Sasuke replied, as he deflected the projectiles Naruto had deflected just a second earlier.

Naruto realised what Sasuke had done just a second too late. The Shiruken flew behind Gamaki and wrapped around the giant toad. Knowing that the toad's strength would see it break free fairly quickly, Sasuke took the wire in his mouth and acted quickly.

"_Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu!_"

A great flame ran along the wire and engulfed Gamaki. Naruto screamed out for Gamaki to retreat, it wasn't worth him injuring himself. The toad was way ahead of him, disappearing before Naruto could full get out his command.

The crowd applauded Sasuke's genius but Naruto spotted something more important. His opponent was panting, it was obvious that he was feeling tired. Unfortunately, Naruto was also feeling the fatigue of back-to-back battles, despite the healing that was given to him. Judging by the way things were shaping up, Naruto knew that the next attack would be the last.

"_I need to make it count then" _Naruto thought, but hesitated. "_Can I use it here though? In such a battle? This could cause some serious harm, I don't want to injure him that badly, just enough to win. No, I have to do it, I'm sure Sasuke isn't planning on holding back. I'll do it appropriately, that'll be fine."_

Naruto held his arm out to the side and concentrated on the chakra in that limb. He could feel it shooting up his arm and resting in the palm of his hand. When he felt that he had enough, he worked on the next step; rotation. He moved his left hand over his right and began to move it around. Soon enough, a small and concentrated ball of chakra sat there. He confidently looked up at Sasuke, and was stunned at what he saw.

"_He's holding lightning in his hand?_" Naruto realised, as he listened to the sounds of birds chirping echoing around him.

Sasuke looked over at Naruto, similarly confused by Naruto's technique. Then they both caught each other's eye and there was instantly an understanding. They knew there was this going and neither was scared. This was it; it was finally time to see who would reign supreme. The clash of their ultimate techniques would decide it all.

Naruto took off at pace, leaving his Rasengan by his side. Sasuke's arm was much lower down, almost ground. They both sped up as they approached each other, looking to make a maximum damage on impact. They pulled their arms back and once they finally got close enough, they pushed their palms right at each other. Rasengan and Chidori bore down on each other and came within millimetres of touching.

Then it all stopped. Naruto felt a hand grab his wrist hard, and he could tell by Sasuke's moan that the same had happened to him. It took Naruto a second to realise who was holding him in the vice like grip, it was not until he looked up and saw his father.

"Dad, what's going on?"

Minato didn't respond to begin with, he was looking at the ground, his face filled with sadness. Naruto scoured his mind trying to think what he'd done, or what they'd done. Was this because of the techniques, had they gone too far?

"The Chunin Exams are hereby cancelled" Minato yelled out, to the annoyance of the crowd.

Several sections booed and let their annoyance at this decision be known. However, this soon died down when Minato yelled out again.

"I have just received word that forces from Kumogakure and Iwagakure have attacked several outposts on the borders between the Land of Fire and various other nations, as well as outposts belonging to the Land of Wind. With this act, I can announce that the Fourth Shinobi World War has begun."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was originally going to be longer and include some war prep, but the battles ran longer than I thought so I'll include that kind of stuff in the next chapter. I'm really excited for the next part of the story, as this is what I've been writing towards since the start. **

**Next Chapter: Conflict**


	12. Conflict

Chapter 12: Conflict

_The entire office was still. All of the Shinobi gathered in the Raikage's domain just stared at the blonde haired man standing right before their leader. He stood there silently for a few seconds, keeping his glaze on the Raikage, A. Finally, there was a response. _

"_What is the meaning of this?" A demanded to know, although his tone was thoroughly unconvincing. _

"_Don't act the fool A, you know exactly why I'm here" Minato snarled, as he threw down the Kumo Shinobi he was holding. _

_A glanced at the Shinobi for a second and noticed there was a glazed expression across his face, as if he found it difficult to focus. He frowned at this, as the repercussions of it became clear. _

"_Genjutsu" A muttered quietly to himself. "Quite unlike you to use such interrogation techniques Minato, I thought you were all about humanising the Shinobi world or something."_

"_Sometimes I'm forced to show my hand" Minato responded. "Why do you continue to work against me? Why do you insist on keeping these old tensions between us?"_

"_I don't have to answer to you" A spat. "In fact, what you're doing now could amount to nothing more than an act of war. I'd be within my rights to have you killed for invading our land."_

"_Just try it" Minato said, drawing his kunai within the blink of an eye. _

_Darui made a delayed move towards his sword but he stood out through this movement. The rest of the Shinobi in the room appeared to be paralysed by fear. Despite the fact that they had their own leader and outnumbered him significantly, they were terrified of the Hokage. As he stood there, exuding confidence and power, A could understand why. Truth be told, he felt a little scared himself. _

"_You have to understand, I don't want this anymore" Minato sighed. "I want to end this cycle of hatred that we're stuck in right now. There's something coming A, we need to be united if we're going to face it. The further apart we are, the more vulnerable we become."_

"_Something's coming? Vulnerable? What is he trying to suggest here?" A wondered, although he kept his face stoic. "What are you planning here Minato? Whatever it is, I will find out."_

_A gave a subtle glance towards Darui, who acted immediately. He swung his sword at Minato, but unfortunately for him the Hokage was waiting for such an attempt. What followed next was nothing short of spectacular. All that A could see was a flash of yellow darting around the room as he both avoided and countered each Shinobi's attempts to attack him. Within seconds, Minato was stood in the middle of the room, with unconscious bodies littered around him. _

"_I see that we aren't going to get anywhere here," Minato said, shaking his head. "I didn't want this, it's exactly the kind of thing I want to stop. I'm sorry, I'll leave I probably should never have come. Just, please think about what I said."_

"_He's sorry? Giving me orders before he leaves? How arrogant" A thought, as he stood up from his desk. "Minato, I'm not done with you yet!"_

_A launched himself across the room but before he could make any contact with his target, he disappeared. A clenched his fist and stared at the now empty space. He could barely contain his anger, barely hide his humiliation. He didn't intimidate Minato at all; in fact he treated him as if he were some child he could lecture. As if he were inferior. He couldn't stand it, not for another second…_

"Lord Raikage!"

The yell awoke A from his daydream. It was strange to look at the very same office just a few years later. It had become something akin to a conference room, with a large circular, wooden table replacing his old desk. Although, the activity level hadn't changed a bit, there were still five or six Shinobi in the room, all doing various tasks.

The one who had spoken up was the one A could stand the least. Onoki, the 3rd Tsuchikage, was a slightly odd looking old man, standing at barely three feet tall and physically feeble, he wasn't the most physically intimidating of opponents. Yet, his decades of experience in war combined with a conniving mind and his devastating use of kekkei tota made him a formidable enemy and a powerful ally. Still, despite his worth, being in the same room as the man could be quite jarring.

"Sorry, I had my mind on something" A mumbled. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking you if you'd had any updates from the battlefields yet" Onoki repeated himself, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I'd like to know what progress we are making."

"Oh, well Darui sent me a report" A said, as he tried to sort through the stacks of paper in front of him. "They've entered a stalemate of sorts, seems the Konoha Shinobi have put up a type of barrier ninjutsu that's currently holding them up."

'They're waiting for reinforcements" Onoki nodded sagely. "The Hokage knows very complex barrier ninjutsu, so it's no surprise that this knowledge has spread to other Konoha Shinobi. However, there is a weakness to it."

"Which is?"

"The strength of the barrier relies on the caster and it can be weakened by repeated assault" Onoki grinned wickedly. "I doubt that the one who cast the jutsu has the power of the Hokage, so if powerful enough ninjutsu is fired, it will eventually give way."

"_Well, I guess you know these things if you live long enough_" A smirked. "_Still, he's an invaluable resource, lets see you take on both of us, Minato."_

"I'll send this information to Darui at once. C, get in here!" A yelled out.

C entered at once, followed by four other Shinobi. The four-man squad had made their way up Kumo's ranks at blistering pace over the previous years, so much so that A had installed them as his personal bodyguards a year or so before. The four brothers had become famous in Kumo for their agility, pale skin and use of serpents, so much so that they had developed a nickname.

"Onoki, have I introduced you to Team Hebi here?" A asked, of course knowing that he had not done so. "They're the elite of our village, each one possessing a mastery of ninjutsu and a cunning intellect."

"I'm sorry A but why should I care?" Onoki responded, seemingly uninterested.

In truth, Hebi held no value to Onoki but they meant a lot to A. They had become more than just bodyguards to him, they were his confidants, his advisors. He wasn't sure what it was, but they always listened and gave sound advice. In fact, almost his entire war strategy had begun by speaking to them.

"I just thought you'd like to know who will be protecting you during your stay here" A shrugged. "Anyway, what did you want?"

The nearest man, who was tall and sleek, his jet-black hair pushed back by his headband, stepped forward to speak. His voice was soft and he appeared to have a habit of elongating his S' slightly.

"We were just here to inform you that we've completed our defence preparations," he hissed proudly. "There is absolutely no way that anyone can even approach this village now."

* * *

To say that the last few hours had been difficult would be an understatement. For Minato, it had been like living his worst nightmare. Panic had set in almost immediately after he had announced the news at the Chunin Exams and from then on things had only got worse. He'd practically taken Shikaku straight from the stands at the exam and dragged him to his office, while he had left the responsibility of informing the village to Kushina.

"The emergency ANBU squads are already approaching the outposts, so that should give them enough reinforcements to last the night" Shikaku said. "Now, we need to figure out the teams we're going to send to fully protect each outpost."

The office let out a collective groan. The sun was already setting and they were all in for a long night ahead. Jiraiya and the Kazekage had joined the pair for the planning session and they too seemed to realise this.

"We don't have much time, so it might be best just to split up our villages for now until we can better assess which groups would work best together" Shikaku advised. "That way we'll be able to send teams out tomorrow morning."

"Seems like a good idea to me" the Kazekage nodded. "I have a good idea who I can send from my village to our nearest outpost, I'll send a message back home to have them deploy immediately. Come to think of it, I wonder exactly how they've reacted to all this."

"Probably the same way we have" Minato replied. "It's a complete shock, I can barely believe it myself. That's what's so worrying about this. Jiraiya Sensei, how did your spies not catch wind of this? Does A know about them?"

Jiraiya paused for a moment to consider the possibility before shaking his head.

"He would have tried to get information out of them before now if he knew" Jiraiya said. "From what they've told me, nobody in the village knew about this before they made their move. It's possible only the Raikage and his very top advisors were aware of the plan."

Minato nodded his head and acknowledged the possibility but he didn't really believe it. It didn't seem like A's style, he's not the most subtle man. He had to wonder what it was that was making him act so strange. Whatever the reason, his opponent's unpredictability was going to be an issue.

"Okay, we'll get on with this then."

* * *

It was approaching midnight when Minato called Kakashi and Fugaku in to his office. Kakashi seemed calm and collected, while Fugaku was a little worse for wear. Minato knew he would have had to deal with the worries of the clan and his role as part of the Council confers responsibilities on him that he would have to fulfil. Still, he found that his sympathy was lacking given what he had dealt with so far that day.

"I'm sending you two to take over the defence of the two outposts that have been attacked" Minato explained, as he pointed towards a map on his desk. "Kakashi, you will take the outpost in Land of Hot Springs, which borders the Land of Lightning. Fugaku, you will take command of the outpost in the Grass Country, which borders the Land of Earth. If Iwa and Kumo want to get to Konoha, the majority of their forces will have to pass these points first, so it's vital that you defend them."

Having Kakashi take the outpost that borders Kumo wasn't unintentional. Kakashi hadn't set foot in the Grass Country since the incident at Kanabi Bridge during the last war and Minato wanted to save him the guilty thoughts. Kakashi already had enough of those anyway.

"So, do you have a list of the Shinobi that will be a part of our division?" Fugaku asked.

"Yes, we've prepared a list over the last few hours" Minato responded, as he handed a small document to each of them. "Kakashi, I've elected for Gai to be your second in command. Fugaku, Itachi will act in that capacity for you."

Fugaku raised a suspicious eyebrow at this, as he began to scan the names on his sheet.

"I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that" Fugaku said. "Don't get me wrong, Itachi is powerful and he will be a considerable asset to us. However, I wonder about him being mentally capable of undertaking such a role."

Minato suppressed a sigh. He knew that the relationship between Fugaku and Itachi had been rather strained since the revelation of what Itachi was very close to doing to the Uchiha clan. It was only natural really; it raised issues of trust between them and challenged Fugaku's perceptions of loyalty. Still, Minato hoped that having them work side by side in such a way might go some way to repairing the broken relationship between them. Plus, Minato had other reasons for wanting to test Itachi's resolve when given such responsibility.

"Well, we'll just see how it goes" Minato replied. "If, after seeing Itachi performing his duties, you feel that he isn't up to the job, you can replace him with someone else in your division."

Fugaku muttered a response under his breath, which Minato decided to ignore. They spent the next few minutes going over the members of each division, with Kakashi and Fugaku asking questions about Shinobi they didn't know much about. Finally, Kakashi reached the end of his division and declared himself satisfied. Minato watched as Fugaku reached the last name on his list and prepared for the onslaught he knew would occur.

"Sasuke?" Fugaku said, as he looked up at Minato. "You're sending Sasuke in to battle?"

"Yes" Minato nodded his head. "His performance in the Exams demonstrated that he is at the very least Chunin level, some would say he's even pushing some of the Jonin in power. Kumo and Iwa's forces outnumber our own, we need to send as many as we can and that includes many of the recently promoted Chunin."

After the announcement of war, Minato had taken the unusual step of promoting not only all of the finalists of the exams but also several of the more impressive candidates that had undergone the preliminaries.

"So then, if we're sending the recently promoted Chunin" Fugaku began, and Minato had a feeling he knew what was coming next. "Tell me, which division is your son going to be fighting in?"

"Naruto isn't being sent out to fight" Minato replied with a guilty expression. "I need to keep him here for something."

"Don't give me that bullshit Minato!" Fugaku screamed, as he pointed his finger towards the Hokage. "This is just like you, you preach equality and selflessness yet you do not practice it, do you? You're happy enough to let other people's children risks their lives for the village but you're not willing to allow your own precious child to march to war are you?"

"Fugaku calm down, I'm sure that Minato Sensei has a good reason-"

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Hatake" Fugaku spat.

"Fugaku, calm down" Minato said. "The reason I'm not sending Naruto is that he needs to stay back here for special training."

"Training? Is that really what you're going with? What a pathetic excuse" Fugaku sneered. "Why would your son require extra training all of a sudden?"

Fugaku's questioning left Minato at a crossroads. Was it worth revealing his son's identity in order to ease Fugaku's fears?

"I can't say" Minato stuttered. "You're just going to have to trust me on this Fugaku. Naruto has to stay in the village."

The tension in the room was at breaking point as Fugaku continued to stare at Minato, who returned in kind. Finally, the Uchiha clan leader gave in.

"Fine, have it your way. I've learned over the years what going against the Hokage leads to" Fugaku sniped. "Just so you know though, this isn't the last time I'll pull you up on your crap, Minato. Once this war is won, expect me to be knocking on your office door."

With that, Fugaku confirmed that he'd be ready to go at 7am the next morning and walked out the room. Minato and Kakashi sat in silence for a moment.

"So, if Naruto needs to undergo special training and can't leave the village, does that mean that-"

"Yes" Minato responded at once, unsurprised that Kakashi had figured it out. "Please keep it to yourself."

"Of course" Kakashi said, as he went to leave. "You can trust me, Minato Sensei."

* * *

It was all so surreal. Just 24 hours before, Naruto had been sat in his kitchen at home and worrying about something as petty as an exam. Now, he was standing at the gates of the village, as the two divisions readied themselves to leave for war.

The families of those that were leaving were spending their last few minutes with their loved ones. The most noticeable was Mikoto Uchiha, who was in tears as she said goodbye to both of her sons and her husband. Naruto felt pangs of guilt as he watched them for a moment. Was it fair that one family would have to go through such hardships while his own remained safe and sound in the village?

"You'll be careful, won't you?" Naruto heard his mother say to the right of him.

He looked over to see her adjusting Kakashi's headband and dusting down his clothes.

"Well, as careful as I can be" Kakashi chuckled. "I'm undertaking a rather dangerous job you know."

"Just make sure you write to me every week," she said, struggling to contain the emotion in her voice. "Let me know how everything is going okay? And don't think that just because I'm not there that you can skip meals, you'll need your strength."

"If I just say yes to everything will you be satisfied?" Kakashi replied.

They then embraced in a long and loving hug. Naruto had never seen Kakashi really express emotion before, it was a strange sight.

"You'll have to look after your Mum okay?" Kakashi said to Naruto as he walked past. "She's going to be on to you even more than before, think you can handle it?"

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically and Kakashi laughed, before ruffling Naruto's hair one more time. He then moved on to talk to Sasuke and Naruto thought it was best not to stare.

"Weird isn't it?" Hinata said, as she suddenly appeared next to Naruto. "It doesn't feel right that they have to go and yet we get to stay."

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, the question not sounding quite as rude in his head.

She simply nodded her head towards the group to Naruto's left, which he then noticed contained Neji and his father. Seeing Neji and Sasuke wearing the Konoha flack jacket gave Naruto the peculiar urge to laugh, although he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he just wanted to find some way to lighten up the whole situation.

"Everyone, if I could speak just before you leave" Minato called out.

All of the soldiers stopped what they were doing immediately and turned towards their designated leader.

"I won't keep you long because you have to get going," he continued. "I know this is very sudden for all of you and that you feel unprepared. Some of you have experience in war, some of you do not. It's natural for you to feel afraid but there's something that each and every one of you can take heart in. The Will of Fire, the will that this village was built on by the First Hokage, burns brightly within each of you, I can see it. Let it bring you courage in times of need; let it give you the strength to protect everything that you hold dear. The fate of the village rests in your hands and I know that you will do everything you can to defend it. I believe in you all and you have the support of the entire village. So go and defend us, go and defend Konoha!"

The divisions applauded at the Hokage's words, although Naruto noticed that Fugaku had remained stoic. The final goodbyes were then tearfully given as the divisions ran out of the gate. Naruto stood there and watched until they passed by the horizon and the sound of their footsteps could no longer be heard. His father walked up to him and placed a comforting am around his shoulder.

"They'll be fine," he said, sounding completely confident. "Trust me, this'll all be over before you know it. Besides, you have other things to concentrate on for the time being. Starting today, you're training begins."

* * *

Sasuke could feel some tiredness setting in. He'd been running for so many hours that he'd lost count. He wasn't even sure what country they were in anymore or what direction they were supposed to be going in. All he could think of was the need he had to rest; surely they would be done soon?

"You're not the only one" Neji said, as he appeared next to him. "Many of the men are tired now, it's been a challenging day. I understand that we need to reach the outpost quickly, but if we're too tired to move when we get there it's pointless."

Sasuke was inclined to agree, but he didn't like the idea of doubting his father. At the front, Sasuke could see his father and Itachi engrossed in conversation. It was a rare sight nowadays, he couldn't remember the last time they had spoke for more than a minute or so.

Suddenly, Fugaku stopped and raised his hand. The entire company ground to a halt. Fugaku made a slight nod to the trees either side of them and Sasuke immediately understood. The enemy was currently watching them, most likely waiting to ambush.

The division spread out and began walking towards the trees. Sasuke withdrew his katana and held it out in front of him. He activated his Sharingan so that he could get a clearer view and wouldn't be caught off guard by any attempted attacks. He peered in to the darkness but couldn't see signs of any chakra. Maybe his Dad and Itachi were just being paranoid?

"There!"

Suddenly, the path was filled with the sound of fighting. Enemy Shinobi appeared out of nowhere and relentlessly attacked. Sasuke cast his mind back to his academy days. He vaguely remembered Iruka Sensei mentioning something about not letting yourself get overwhelmed during an ambush by attacking nonsensically. He knew that he should simply stand his ground and wait for a direct attack on him.

It didn't take long for this to happen. A masked enemy approached him with a kunai in each hand and began to attack. Sasuke dodged the first attempt and countered with a swing of his blade. He was clearly too quick and Sasuke was able to swipe across the flack jacket of the enemy. With his opponent off balance and vulnerable, Sasuke prepared to strike. Then, he noticed something. A picture fell out of his enemies' pocket and on to the ground. It looked to be some kind of family portrait, showing a man and wife with two children. They looked so happy, not unlike his own family really. Sasuke hesitated at this. How could he deprive a woman of her husband or children of their father?

Unfortunately, the enemy seemed to make no consideration of this for Sasuke. He attacked without remorse, aiming for Sasuke's throat. Sasuke had no answer for this, he was completely paralysed. Just as the kunai approached his throat, a figure zoomed in from the side and collided with the enemy, knocking him to the ground. A sword was plunged straight in to his chest, he was clearly dead.

The sword belong to Itachi, who stood over him with his Sharingan activated. Sasuke instantly began to feel calmer as he saw his older brother standing over him. Just as he began to relax, another figure seemingly came out of nowhere and ran towards him. Itachi dealt with this as well, killing the man with a slash across his throat.

Sasuke remained rooted to the spot, shaking as he did so. The sounds of battle began to fade around him as Itachi looks towards him. His face was sympathetic, although his eyes were much more serious.

"Sasuke" he sighed, as he placed his arm on Sasuke's shoulder. "I don't like this anymore than you do but you must understand. We are at war, you cannot afford to offer the enemy any kind of sympathy that they would not offer you."

As if to hammer home the point, Itachi pointed towards the bodies on the ground. Sasuke noticed that several of them were wearing Konoha flack jackets. They were Shinobi that had said goodbye to their wives, children and family just hours before. They had made promises to return that would now not be kept. Sasuke understood what Itachi was saying, he understood it perfectly. They were at war and that's all they could afford to think of.

**A/N: Shorter chapter today, as I said last time this wasn't supposed to be a chapter in the first place so that's why. **

**Next Chapter: Letters from War**


	13. Letters from War

Chapter 13: Letters from War

**A/N: I don't normally do these at the start of a chapter, but I thought it was fair to explain. This chapter will be told in the form of a series of letters sent back and forth between some of the characters, so that's why this is short in terms of word count (again). Sorry if you don't like it but I wanted to try something different.**

**Letters written in **_italics _**are coded.**

* * *

**2****nd**** March 785**

From: Naruto Uzumaki

To: Hinata Hyuga

Hey Hinata,

Thought I'd send you this letter, just to see how you were doing. Actually, you've literally only just left about five minutes ago, but I thought it'd be nice if you had something to read when you reach your outpost. You looked so nervous in that oversized flack jacket, don't worry you'll be great! It's mostly the Jonin that are targeted first anyway, so I don't think there's much for you to worry about. Plus, you have Asuma Sensei with you; he'll look after you.

Also, you're not the only one. Apparently Kiba and Shino are going to be sent out in the next few days and Lee has been told that he's leaving next week. I'll probably be the only one left here soon, apart from Shikamaru obviously. I think my Dad knows how lazy he is, wouldn't be much help on a battlefield. Still, I'm supposed to start this training or whatever next week, so that might be fun. Better than sitting around and waiting for news at least. Send me a letter back when you get this, give me something to do!

Naruto

* * *

**31****st**** June 785**

From: Fugaku Uchiha

To: Office of the Hokage

Lord Hokage,

I can report that the outpost is still stable. The barriers are holding up well and the enemy is struggling to mount any serious attacks. Our supply lines are currently steady and we haven't had any serious attacks of note. To me, it appears that the enemy is ready for a battle of attrition with us, so I must advise you that our supplies may be attacked in the future. We have concerns that small groups may be navigating around our outpost in order to advance, but we do not have the manpower to either investigate this further or counter the problem. I make a request for more troops as a result of this.

I also still have my concerns for the suitability of my supporting captain. While he offers a lot in terms of raw power and intellect, I find it difficult to fully work with Itachi. Our relationship complicates matters to an unnecessary extent. It is not the type of subordinate I am used to and I would feel much better if he would be replaced. Yet, there is no one in the division that I feel would be capable of taking such a job. I would request that you send me someone who has acted in this capacity previously.

Regards,

Fugaku Uchiha, Commander of Grass Country Outpost

* * *

**3****rd**** August 785**

From: Office of the Hokage

To: Fugaku Uchiha

Fugaku,

I understand your concerns, but as I have said before there are no Shinobi available at this time. I have already spent a vast majority of our forces to other outposts, some of which are less equipped in terms of manpower than yours. If we send out anymore, then the village is in danger of not having enough Shinobi to defend itself. You just need to manage with what you have, which is the same for all commanders.

In regards to your other query, there is no one suitable. If you want to replace Itachi, you will have to do so with someone already at your disposal. If you want my advice, you should try to work with him rather than replace him outright.

Minato Namikaze, 4th Hokage of Konohagakure

* * *

**14****th**** December 785**

From: Kushina Uzumaki

To: Kakashi Hatake

Kakashi,

How are you? We haven't received a letter from you for a while now. Well, apart from the official communications with Minato I mean. It's so quiet here now, there's barely any Shinobi left in the village and you can really tell the difference. Although, knowing you I doubt you would liven it up too much anyway. You always were quite shy, even as a child.

Naruto's training has been interesting so far I guess. Minato trains him when he can, which isn't as often as he would like. He's a little frustrated though, I guess Naruto doesn't pick things up quite as quick as you used to. It's strange seeing him like that, even when he was training your team as Genin he wasn't this annoyed. He says it's the war but I'm not so sure of that. I might have to sit in on these sessions when I can; it's a little lonely waiting by myself.

Anyway, the main thing is that we all miss you and love you. Is there anything you want me to send you? What's the climate like there, I could send you some clothes if you needed? Or some of that disgusting soup you somehow like? Whatever it is, just let me know.

Kushina

* * *

**22nd February 786**

From: Sasuke Uchiha

To: Kakashi Hatake

Sensei,

Everyone's been writing to people recently so I thought I'd sent you a letter. I don't want to heap too much stuff on you because I know you're busy and under pressure, but it's difficult to talk to anyone here. Father was never one to be open and even Itachi is too busy to have a real conversation with.

I know as a Shinobi I should be able to deal with this, it's what we train for after all. I just don't know if I can handle all of this stuff at once. I can feel the pressure building constantly; I know that I'm somewhat responsible for my teammates lives. The very idea is terrifying. What if I make a mistake? What if someone doesn't come home because of me? What if a child is left without a parent because of me? It keeps eating away at me. I just want to get out, I just want to run away from here and go somewhere safe. I know that makes me sound pathetic, but it's true. Please, tell me how you do it.

Sasuke

* * *

**29****th**** May 786**

From: Office of the Hokage

To: Hinata Hyuga

Dear **Hinata Hyuga**

It is of my deepest regret to inform you that **Ko Hyuga** has been declared **K.I.A **on **24th May**. I express the utmost sympathy for your loss, as **he **was a great asset to Konoha. You have paid leave to return home for the funeral.

Yours sincerely,

Shiranui Genma, Assistant to the Hokage

* * *

**11****th**** August 786**

From: Itachi Uchiha

To: Mikoto Uchiha

Mother

I apologise for not writing sooner, I am sure you must have worried about us. We have been very busy up here so there has been little opportunity to have any spare time in order to write.

There's no need to be anxious, we are all fine up here. Surprisingly, there have been few attacks on the camp as of yet, and the Hokage's barrier ninjutsu keeps us safe. We hear rumours that gains are being made elsewhere, particularly by several teams from Suna against Kumo. If things keep going as they are, we hope that the war will be ending soon and we can return. Until then, I'll continue to keep both eyes on Sasuke as much as I can like you asked, although I find that I do so naturally regardless.

I'll write to you again soon.

Itachi

* * *

**14****th**** August 786**

From: Shikamaru Nara

To: Hinata Hyuga

Hi Hinata

Really sorry to hear about your cousin, I know you guys were close. I'm also sorry that I wasn't able to see you when you were in the village for the funeral but my Dad had dragged me to do some training on my jutsu. It's so much work and I don't even see the point. The Hokage hasn't given any indication that he'd send me out to war and I don't even want to go.

Unlike Naruto, of course. I'm sure he was probably complaining to you about wanting to get out there, prove himself or something. I don't know what he's so attracted to, does he not get what a war is? Well it doesn't matter either way because his Dad isn't letting him go anywhere. How lucky, I keep nervously waiting to get a letter saying I'm getting sent out somewhere.

Anyway, tell Asuma Sensei I say hello and I'll probably send him something a little later.

Shikamaru

* * *

**29****th**** September 786**

From: Anonymous

To: Kushina Uzumaki

_Minato_

_I thought this would be a safer way of contacting you, there's no telling which forms of communication are being intercepted at the moment._

_The Akatsuki have gone completely underground, there's been no sighting of any of them since the war began. It makes me uneasy, an organisation like that should be flourishing at a time like this. We need to be on our guard, they could appear and complicate matters at any time. _

_Unfortunately, the bad news doesn't end there. Seems my informants in Kumo have been found out, I just received a message telling me that they've fled the village. Although, it's not too big of a loss in the grand scheme of things; especially when considering that they had been unable to obtain much information thus far anyway. _

_Finally, about what you said before. Be very careful when altering that seal of yours on Naruto. I shouldn't have to tell you not to underestimate the power of the Kyuubi; even a fraction of its chakra could be deadly. I'd take Kushina with you as a precaution, her unique abilities might be required should things get out of hand. _

_Keep me updated with everything that's going on and I'll do the same. Hopefully I'll have more positive news to send next time. _

_Jiraiya_

* * *

**15****th**** October 786**

From: Kakashi Hatake

To: Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke

I know it's been a while since you wrote but this is the first opportunity I've had to reply to any mail that has been sent to me.

I understand how you're feeling, believe me everyone who has experienced war has been where you are. We're supposed to teach you to just kill off your emotions and not to think of about it, but personally I've found that not to work. So, I'll tell you what I really do. Instead of letting that fear paralyse you in battle, you need to use it as motivation. Every time you and your team are attacked, you MUST be up to the challenge to protect them. Remember, only those worse than scum would abandon their comrades. It's incredible how much power you can have when you are fighting for your friends.

Now, with that done I have a couple more things. First, keep up your training with the change in chakra form that I told you about. I know it's tough but it will improve your versatility with the Chidori tenfold. Secondly, please reply to one of Ino's letters. I've had about five from her myself just asking why you aren't responding. She's not that bad, really.

Until next time

Kakashi

* * *

**1****st**** November 786**

From: Kurenai Yuhi

To: Asuma Sarutobi

Asuma

I received the flowers; they were lovely. How did you know they were my favourite kind? I know you're out there with Sakura, were you able to get it out of her? Still, not very subtle was it? Wasn't being discrete about this your idea?

Anyway, I have some great news to tell you when you get back. Can't wait to see you.

Kurenai

* * *

**31****st**** November 786**

From:…

To: …..

_Jiraiya Sensei_

_I've sent this to Mount Myoboku; hopefully it'll reach you quickly. I have faith though; they've never let me down before. _

_The training looks like it'll be much more complicated than I thought at first. I only opened the seal ever so slightly, and there was the smallest amount of chakra that leaked out. But it consumed him completely; he was unrecognisable. It was nothing like what happened before; he changed form even. He wasn't my son anymore it was as if he had become a smaller form of the Kyuubi itself. He lost his mind and started rampaging; it was a good job that we weren't in the village. I was just about able to restrain him and suppress the chakra when he returned to normal. What it let me know was that he's not yet ready for it. We'll have to find some other way because letting the chakra out like that will never work. _

_Any news about the Masked Man? Any scrap you find will do, his disappearance for the last decade makes me nervous. _

_Minato_

* * *

**24****th**** December 786**

From: Kakashi Hatake

To: Minato Namikaze

Minato Sensei

All seems fine here, for now at least. The Kumo Shinobi seemed to have increased their attempts at attacking us but so far nothing has got through. We've tried to stop the small teams from navigating around us but without more men it's impossible. I do understand though, that you can't do that at the moment.

How is everyone doing? I haven't heard from Kushina since I sent my reply to her last letter but I assume that's not a bad thing. Things aren't too bad up here, all things considered. Gai does well to keep everyone in high spirits, although his youthful speeches do sometimes annoy the more traditional soldiers. Although, he's a little down today because I won our arm wrestle.

I wish I could write more but I need to get going. I'll just ask if you could contact Fugaku at his outpost. According to what Sasuke's been telling me in his letters, there's a bit of a communication problem there.

Kakashi

P.S I've just about got those two jutsu completed. A little bit more refining and they'll be ready to use in combat. Hopefully I'll be able to show them to you.

* * *

**5****th**** January 787**

From: Sasuke Uchiha

To: Kakashi Hatake

Sensei

I'm struggling to even write this right now. You can probably tell from my handwriting that I'm shaking. I can't even sit still.

Someone died today. I was out on patrol, nothing too dangerous just a routine check to see if anyone was trying to get around our outpost. I turned off my Sharingan to preserve chakra and that's when it happened. A kunai flew in out of nowhere with a paper bomb attached to it. We all moved out of the way but that's what they wanted. The enemy was on to us though. I did my best I swear, I was trying to help but there was just so many.

I saw it happen. I saw the kunai slit his throat and the blood pour out from the wound. My Sharingan recorded it all perfectly; I can't get it out of my head. I just froze. If Itachi hadn't shown up, I'd probably be dead right now. I'm not like Itachi, or you for that matter. I can't talk to my father as he's always arguing with Itachi, who's always so busy. I can't take it anymore I have to get out of here.

Sasuke

* * *

**17****th**** January 787**

From: Office of the Hokage

To: Kakashi Hatake

Kakashi

I'm aware of the situation with Fugaku and I'm doing my best to resolve it as quickly as possible. Although, it is difficult to do so through letters but it's all I have to work with.

We're all okay down here as well, in fact Naruto was asking after you yesterday. Which is why I'm writing to you actually. He keeps being distracted by everything that's going on, he thinks he's missing out on something cool. It's like he can't grasp the seriousness and horror of what's going on. It's understandable to an extent; almost all of his friends have already left and he's pretty much the only one still here. I've already told Asuma to do the same, but could you send a letter to him explaining the seriousness of war, just so he'll stop with these delusions?

Just be careful with jutsu like that, especially the second one. If you don't get it right you could end up damaging yourself more than your target. Although I'm sure you know that, after all you aren't that naïve kid that goes charging in to a crowd of enemies with a jutsu just for the sake of it anymore.

Minato Namikaze, 4th Hokage of Konohagakure

* * *

**30****th**** January 787**

From: Asuma Sarutobi

To: Naruto Uzumaki

Hey Naruto

I heard that you're training has intensified with your Dad. You're pretty lucky; it's hard not to be jealous of someone getting trained by a legend like your father. How's it going? I'm sure you're nailing it, you always do.

It's got to be better than what's going down here. Trust me Naruto, you're not missing anything good. In fact, it makes me glad that you're nowhere near this place. You're Dad has told me that you want to come out here and I just need to tell you how ridiculous that is. There is nothing glamorous about war, it's the closest thing we have to hell on earth. You spend every day wondering if you're going to wake up tomorrow or whether it's the last letter you're going to send. Do you really want to put yourself through that? Do you want to put your family through that? I'll tell you something; every single person out here would gladly trade his or her position for yours. Don't forget that.

Asuma

* * *

**1****st**** March 787**

From: Office of the Hokage

To: Name withheld

Dear….

It is of my deepest regret to inform you that… has been declared **K.I.A **on **27th February**. I express the utmost sympathy for your loss, as…was a great asset to Konoha. You have paid leave to return home for the funeral.

Yours sincerely,

Shiranui Genma, Assistant to the Hokage

* * *

**A/N: Chapters will return to normal size next time. As for the final letter, I'll show who the person is and how they died in the next chapter. I'm going to leave two clues about it. The first is that the person who receives the letter has the letters "A" and "U" in their surname (not necessarily in that order). The second clue is the title of the next chapter. **

**Also, I have exams coming up very soon, so the next update won't be for 3-4 weeks, so sorry about that. On the plus side, after that I should update once every 10 days or so. **

**Finally, I got the idea for the letters informing a Shinobi of a death from another fic called "Chasing a Legend" by Voiceofsummer. You can find a link to the fic under the "Favourites" tab on my profile. Give it a read; he's an amazing author. A lot better than me that's for sure. **

**Next Chapter: Death of a Son**


	14. Death of a Son

Chapter 14: Death of a Son

Darui was always a very patient man. People who didn't know him often mistook this for laziness or disinterest but that wasn't true. Most of the time at least. He just liked to take his time with things and found that getting worked up about everything didn't really improve the situation. He'd learned that the hard way after being on the same team as the Raikage for years.

Which was why, when their village leader suddenly arrived at their camp without warning, he was the only one not to act shocked. He simply glanced up at the great hulk of a man and gave a slow nod.

"Darui, what are you doing?"

Whenever A spoke like that to anyone, they'd usually jump in their own skin. Darui though gave a rather unbothered shrug. Even so, he had to admit that what he was doing wouldn't exactly inspire confidence. After all, who would want to see the commander of their main force merely sitting around staring at the entrance to the forest a few hundred metres before them?

"Thinking boss" Darui replied. "It's all I can really do at the minute to be honest."

"As I thought, you still haven't had any luck breaking through."

Darui simply shook his head. He couldn't be blamed though; they simply didn't have the firepower to break such a barrier.

"What's worse is that we can't even get close to the forest where they are," Darui added, pointing out towards the wasteland before them. "Whenever we try to send a force across this area, we come under heavy attack from Kunai, Shiruken, paper bombs and long range ninjutsu. We can sometimes get small teams around by taking the long way round but it seems that they just get picked off by the other outposts."

Darui winced slightly as he prepared for another trademark Raikage yell. Yet, it never came. In its place was a simple yet slightly unsettling smirk and an arrogant exhale of breath.

"As expected of Minato, this type of defensive ninjutsu is right up his alley," he said. "But, you don't have to worry now, we've arrived to deal with this."

"_We?_" Darui thought, as realisation suddenly dawned on him. "_Don't tell me that-"_

"Bee, get over here!" A bellowed, as he spun around to face the group of troops that had now gathered behind them.

The group suddenly split as a large man walked between them. He looked like a slightly smaller version of the Raikage, although he kept a pair of sunglasses permanently placed over his eyes.

"Yo Darui" he said, offering his fist.

Darui bumped the fist with his own but he couldn't hide his insecurities about this.

"Lord Raikage, are you sure-"

"Bee isn't staying" A answered at once. "He's only here to break through the barrier, he will return to the village straight after. He is not to join in with the main battle."

Darui glanced over at Bee and noticed him shift uncomfortably. He was aware that the A's younger brother sometimes felt isolated locked away in the village and while Darui did feel sympathy he also knew how necessary it was. Bee was the village's protector; he needed to always be there.

"Darui, prepare your troops" A barked. "We'll be attacking within minutes. Bee, do it."

Darui barely had time to warn his men. He was able to let out a quick yell before the octopus tails sprouted out of Bee's back. Within seconds, his size increased ten folds and he finally took the form of the beast. Even after years of watching the transformation, Darui still felt a sense of trepidation looking at the face of the great ox.

"Prepare for battle!" Darui then yelled out after he noticed that his Shinobi had been similarly entranced.

As they all lined up in formations and gathered various teams, Bee opened his now giant mouth and began to gather vast amounts of chakra in to a ball. Finally, once the chakra had reached its maximum volume; he arched his head forward and let out his signature yell before sending the attack flying at high velocity towards its target.

"WEEEEE!"

* * *

There are some things that Sasuke found that he could adapt to in his situation. He had gotten used to the cold temperatures that he was often subjected to, although he still found it annoying when it snowed. He had also come to terms with the fact that he could only communicate with his Mother or his Sensei through the occasional letters. He was even okay with performing the more boring duties on the encampment; such as cleaning the equipment or helping prepare the food.

Yet, there were plenty of things that he feared he would never get his head around. One was the unnerving fear that was constantly resting just beneath the surface of his very being. He was scared for the life of those he wasn't around. Receiving letters from those he cared about only brought temporary relief and within a few days the fear began to take over again. Every time the post arrived, he kept expecting there to be a letter for him, informing him of the death of one his loved ones. The very thought made him sick to his stomach.

The outpost they were stationed at was slightly different to the norm. Usually, an outpost was placed in a forest in order to have the cover of the trees to conceal them. However, there were no such forests so close to Iwagakure so they had to settle for an outpost in a mountain past. It was tactically advantageous but didn't make for comfortable living conditions.

He first went about his usual morning routine of quickly washing and dressing before eating and heading to the makeshift armoury to pick up his weaponry. He grabbed a handful of Shiruken and a few Kunai before heading to the back corner of what was essentially a tent. After quickly scouring through the racks, he found his tanto towards the end of the bottom rack. He scowled at it as he noticed dirt on the handle.

"_Not again, the one thing that's mine out here and people continue to steal it_" he growled internally, before making up his mind that he would bring it up with his father.

As he walked towards his father's tent, he could feel the eyes of the several of the others on him. He knew full well what they were thinking; he could practically hear the words that their eyes expressed.

"Poor kid"

"He's too young to be out here"

"He's not like his brother."

Sometimes he wanted to yell out at them, ask them how they really felt about this whole mess deep down. Yet, he restrained himself from doing so. Really, he knew that he didn't have a leg to stand on in regards to this. The majority of them were experienced veterans, used to the rigours of war. In some ways, he knew they were right. He was just a kid.

Finally, he reached his fathers quarters but unfortunately all he heard was the all too familiar sound of raised voices. He loitered outside the tent and listened for a moment, wondering what the problem between his father and brother was this time.

"I don't see a problem with it and frankly neither should you."

"No problems! Itachi, don't be so naïve. You cannot keep abusing your powers like this; pretty soon you'll go blind.

"The only one mentioning abuse of powers here is you. I only use my eyes when they are necessary and so far it has been necessary in order to save a number of my comrades lives."

"While that's noble of you, you don't realise the adverse affects this causes. Remember the eyes don't belong just to you."

"I realise, they also belong to the village."

"And the clan!"

It sounded as if Fugaku was about to raise his voice again but he quickly silenced. Sasuke had a feeling that he knew why and he was proven right when his father called out for him a few seconds later.

Sasuke walked inside with some trepidation. He was greeted by a forced grin from Itachi, who Sasuke noticed had switched back to wearing his ANBU uniform in place of the standard flack jacket he had sported for the past year. Fugaku was less concerned with hiding his annoyance and he preferred to wear a noticeable scowl across his face.

"What do you want Sasuke?" he asked sharply.

"Erm, it's nothing" Sasuke replied lamely, deciding that it was best not to bother his father was such a trivial issue. "I was just passing by."

Neither Itachi nor Fugaku appeared to be convinced by that explanation but neither said anything out loud.

"So, Itachi what's with that?" Sasuke asked, hoping to ease the tension in the room just a little.

"I'm going on a recon mission today and this doesn't stand out as much" Itachi replied. "I'm just waiting for the rest of my team to get ready."

Sasuke was about to ask more when Fugaku interrupted him.

"Oh yeah before I forget, Sasuke it's your turn for guard duty today. Take Neji Hyuga with you and report to the point at 3pm."

"Really? But I normally only do that with Itachi."

"That's right" Itachi agreed, as he frowned at his father. "It's a dangerous assignment, he shouldn't really be going with only another Chunin."

"You would have gone with him if not for this mission," Fugaku snapped. "Besides, he'll still be behind the barrier and there's been no incidents the whole time we've been here." Itachi looked ready for another argument but obviously thought better of it. He simply shook his head and grabbed his mask that was placed on the desk.

"Just make sure you look out for him while I'm gone" Itachi said as he walked out of the tent, leaving a sour atmosphere behind.

Fugaku stared at the exit to his tent for a minute or so before begrudgingly walking towards his desk. Sasuke could tell from the way his father groaned when he moved to sit and his pained expression that the effects of the war were beginning to take their tole on him.

"Is there anything else, Sasuke?"

He had no idea how much more he had to say. He wanted to tell him about how much pain this whole ordeal was causing him. He wanted to be told how everything would be all right and he had nothing to worry about. But that was just a stupid desire. His father had never been like that and Sasuke doubted that he ever would be.

"Nothing, I'll go find Neji."

As Sasuke walked back through the camp, past the hundreds of Shinobi that currently inhabited it, he felt an overwhelming sensation that he was all alone.

* * *

At first, Kakashi had found the silence in the camp to be quite unnerving. He had grown up with war and had a lot of experience on the battlefield. He had expected everything to be the same as it had been last time. He thought they'd be bogged down with constant assaults, especially given their opponent, who was not renowned as a patient man. Yet, while they faced a barrage of ninjutsu attacks and occasional infiltration attempts, they had not had to stand up to the type of attacks he had been expecting. Which, he supposed, was only a good thing.

He'd soon come to appreciate his early morning checks through the forest outpost that they inhabited. As he looked through each tent and looked through the trees to see what lay beyond their barrier jutsu, he had time to think. Not necessarily about the war or his duties as commander of the outpost, but to collect his thoughts. On this day, his mind turned to a familiar but haunting subject.

"_It's been over a year now" _he thought, as he made his way back to his own tent. "_Over a year since I sat at the memorial, maintaining my vigil. I wonder if Minato Sensei has kept it clean in my absence. Or if Kushina has been replacing the flowers on Rin's grave? I'm sure they have, they aren't the type of people that would let you down like that. They aren't like me."_

As he reached the opening for his tent, he nodded towards the two Chunin standing guard, who gave a respectful salute back. He thought about telling them, once again, that they he weren't always required to act like that around him. Then he thought better of it.

"_May as well just leave them to it, it's probably better to have that certainty anyway."_

Kakashi sighed as he reached his desk, which was just as ridiculously messy as he had left it. Paperwork and organizational skills had never been his forte, and that was being brutally exposed to him during his stint as outpost commander. Various pieces of paper were strewed haphazardly across his desk and Kakashi honestly couldn't remember reading any of them.

"All right, lets have a look what we have here."

It was mostly quite predictable stuff. Mission reports, Shinobi profiles and correspondence with other commanders and the village. All incredibly boring of course but necessary. How he longed for some kind of secretary to do all this for him, the thought of his Sensei having Shikaku at his disposal made him feel instantly jealous.

As he reached the bottom of his pile, he found a bunch of messily written notes. He recognised them as some of the drafts of his last letter that he had sent to Sasuke. He was seriously concerned about his students' well being, so much so that he was considering asking Minato Sensei if he could be transferred. Although that would create it's own problems, Fugaku was already unhappy with their relationship and he didn't want to sour those relations any further.

"_I just hope that reached him soon enough_" he thought, as he had sent the letter in the non-priority post.

He then moved to stand up so he could go and give his orders but was stopped dead in his tracks as one of the many Chunin under his command suddenly burst inside.

"Commander Kakashi, you need to come quickly!"

"What is it?" Kakashi demanded, sensing both the urgency and panic in the young mans voice.

"They've broken the barrier sir," he said despondently. "They'll be at the entrance to the camp within minutes."

* * *

Naruto sat in his room; lying back on the bed with a stack of letters placed next to him. He read through them one by one and each one gave him more of an idea what was happening in the war. Each letter recounted each person's own personal horrors and by the end of it, Naruto only had one conclusion.

"Everyone's suffering out there," Naruto said, as he finished a particularly detailed letter from Kakashi.

"_**Indeed, why you're just sitting so comfortably in you're room, no problems at all."**_

Naruto shuddered as he heard the deep and demonic voice stir up inside him. It had been only a few weeks since he was told about the existence of the demon fox and became aware of his presence within him. Ever since then, the demon had been intermittently sharing its thoughts with its now aware host and they were always something antagonistic.

"Shut up" Naruto said. "I already told you not to speak to me, so just be quiet."

This was met with a slow and malicious laugh that frightened Naruto to his very core. He was still struggling with the concept that such a thing was sealed within him and having to listen to it mocking him every few days wasn't helping.

"_**Pathetic, as expected from you. Any decent human being would want to help I'd imagine, but of course a privileged brat like yourself is too self absorbed."**_

He desperately wanted to ignore the taunts but deep down Naruto knew that they were probably true. He only ever wanted to go out to war for the fun and adventure, not because of some desire to help his friends out there. Really, he knew there was never a chance he could go anyway.

But still, reading all those letters had changed his mind a little. He felt differently now, he wanted to help. All that training had at least made him strong enough to help, he was sure that he was stronger than the average Chunin by now.

"_**All talk, you're just saying it because you know you'll never be able to go."**_

"I thought I told you to stay quiet!" Naruto said, as he jumped off the bed.

The Kyuubi was right though; his father would never let him out of the village. The only solution, then, was to break out and go by himself. But this plan had its own problems. He couldn't just walk straight out of the village; someone would clearly notice him leaving, especially the guards standing outside his room that walked in to check on him every half hour. Also, once his Dad realised he was gone, he'd bring him back before he could even reach any of the outposts.

"I need Shikamaru to figure this out for me" Naruto groaned, as he sat back on his bed defeated. "He'd probably just do that weird hand thing and think up some master plan in seconds."

Naruto let out a chuckle as he thought of how ridiculous Shikamaru looked when doing that, although he couldn't argue with the results. He'd asked Shikamaru about why he did it once and he remembered the answer being:

"_It just helps me to see things clearly. When I sit like that, I can break everything down and make more complicated issues simple. I don't know why that works, it just does_."

As he thought about it, Naruto supposed that he had nothing to lose. After checking to make sure that there was no way he was being watched, he carefully placed the tips of his fingers together and closed his eyes.

At first, nothing really happened apart from feeling a little ridiculous, he could swear that he could hear the Kyuubi laughing but he shrugged it off.

"_All right, I need to break everything down. The problems that I've got are that I'm under guard, have no way of not being recognised leaving the village, can't transport to an outpost quick enough. So, I have to get away from the guards, leave with a disguise, find a faster way of getting around."_

Just like that, things began to slowly fall in to place until he had a fully made plan prepared inside his head. He made a mental note to thank Shikamaru later before starting his plan.

He opened the door and stepped out in to the hallway, only to find two Shinobi standing either side of his door. He had no idea who the guy to the right was, but he at least knew the name of the spectacled Jonin to his left.

"Aoba?"

"Hey Naruto, where you going?" Aoba replied, apparently ready to follow him.

"Don't worry, just to the bathroom!" Naruto said, holding up his arms defensively. "I think I'll be fine in there alone."

Aoba laughed as Naruto headed in to the room at the end of the hall. Luckily, the bathroom was large enough for his purposes and had a window leading outside.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

Within a second, an exact duplicate was standing next to him. With the first part done, he then moved on to his next step.

"_Henge no Jutsu!"_

Naruto looked in the mirror to see how convincing his transformation in to Aoba had been. He was quite impressed by what he saw for the most part, it made him feel that all his practice with the technique had been worth it. He couldn't see any discrepancies between himself and the real Aoba, even down to the position of his pouch.

"_Still have the most difficult part left now," _Naruto thought, as he nodded to his clone to walk back to his room.

As the clone slammed the bathroom door closed, Naruto hopped out of the window to the ground below. Feeling a little more relaxed, he began his search of the village for the three men he needed.

"_**So what's your plan here? Even if you do get to the battlefield, you won't be allowed to stay."**_

"_I thought I told you not to talk to me_" Naruto responded. "_Besides, once my Dad sees that I'm fine when I get there, he'll let me stay."_

This time he could definitely here the fox's howling laugh. It was so loud in his ears that he looked around to see if anyone else noticed but of course they didn't.

"_**Fine, do what you like. Don't expect me to bail you out when things get tough."**_

Naruto may have considered the Kyuubi's words more thoroughly if he hadn't spotted who he was looking for loitering around one of the café's.

"Genma!" he called out, ushering over the three Hokage's guards.

"Yeah?"

"I need you to take me to the Land of Hot Springs outpost as quickly as possible" he said, trying to mimic Aoba's mannerisms as best as he could remember.

He had chosen that particular outposts as he would find it easier to convince Kakashi to let him stay. They'd been fairly close since Naruto was born; heck it was like having an older, slightly aloof, sibling. Still, he wouldn't have to worry about where he was going if he couldn't convince Genma and his team to take him there.

"Why?" came the inevitable question.

"We just got word that they've captured an enemy captain, they want me to help with the interrogation" Naruto replied, hoping his performance was as convincing to Genma as it was in his own head.

"So, why do we have to take you?" Genma pressed for more information.

"Because the Hokage's busy and you guys are the only others that know the jutsu!" Naruto said, feigning frustration. "I have to get there quickly, so we need to get going now."

Genma glanced at the two others behind him, who both gave quick nods. He sighed, before turning back to whom he thought was Aoba.

"All right, but you should be grateful for this. This jutsu is a bitch to use."

They walked off to a more secluded area in order to perform the technique.

"The seal is placed on a tree just outside the camp, so you'll have to walk a little to get there" Genma informed him, as the three of them linked hands and formed a triangle around Naruto.

It was at this point that Naruto realised that this would be his first experience with Hirashin. His Dad had never used it to transport him before, well never at a time he could remember. He had to hide his excitement though; Aoba would be concentrated on the task at hand.

"_Hirashin no Jutsu!_"

It felt as if he was moving incredibly fast through some kind of vortex. The world simply flashed before his eyes, although he couldn't really make out where he was supposed to be due to the speed. Within a second though, it was all over and he was stood on solid ground once again. It was amazing the change in scenery, once second he was stood in one of the backstreets of the village and the next he was in the middle of a rather dark forest.

"The camp is just up ahead" Genma panted, a bead of sweat visible on his brow. "We should be inside the barrier now, so you won't have to worry about anything like an ambush. So, we'll head back now."

"Right, thanks for the help."

Naruto began running towards the camp, but only ended his transformation once he saw the group disappear again. He then took a deep breath to calm himself.

"All right, here we go!"

* * *

Where did it all go wrong?

Fugaku Uchiha had asked himself that question on so many occasions but he had yet to come up with a suitable answer. He looked at the family photo he always kept in his jacket pocket. Sasuke with his bright smile, Itachi looking so at ease with everything, Mikoto's face full of joy. He even remembered being happy with his life at that moment, even if he did have his plans. It was all in the past though, doubtful to ever return. He could see that Itachi had been pushed to his breaking point again, which was something he had to keep an eye on. Sasuke smiles had been drowned out by the horrors he had already witnessed. He couldn't even begin to imagine the burden Mikoto had to bear each and every day her family was separated from her. Even in his own precarious position, he didn't envy her at all.

He had tried to tell himself that it was the war, the war had ruined other families and it had done so to his as well. Except that wasn't true, things had changed years before that. He knew that what Itachi almost did was his fault, yet he couldn't bring himself to think that the coup was the wrong choice. In fact, he had secretly been having thoughts of whether it would be possible to do so again.

"_No, I need to stop with that_" Fugaku told himself, as he walked outside of his tent to get some much needed air "_I can't risk splitting my family like that again. I should probably just accept that I'll never see an Uchiha as Hokage._"

The thought was saddening but one that Fugaku couldn't let himself linger with for too long. He was responsible for the lives of his troops and thus couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Are you all right, Fugaku?"

The calming voice came from Hizashi Hyuga. Fugaku had to admit that he knew little of the brother of the Hyuga's clan head when he had first met him but over the course of the year they had developed a bond somewhat. Maybe it was because he too had to go through the agony of facing war while also having to look out for your son.

"Just trying to get my head around a new strategy is all" Fugaku lied. "Needed a little more space to think."

"It's understandable, you are under a lot of stress after all" Hizashi nodded. "Although, I'm not sure what that picture would have to do with strategy."

Fugaku looked down and realised that he was still holding the family photo. He hadn't noticed until it was pointed out.

"Well, I never said the strategy was for battle" Fugaku joked half-heartedly. "But with the way things are going between us, there could be battle yet."

"Things still that bad between you and Itachi then?"

"Worse" Fugaku sighed. "Almost every time we speak now it turns in to an argument. I tried to advise him not to overuse his eyes for his own sake this morning, yet it just turned in to a shouting match. What's worse is that Sasuke overheard the whole thing, again. I'm worried about what it's doing to him."

Hizashi paused for a moment before he spoke again.

"I can't help with Itachi," he said slowly. "But I wouldn't worry too much about Sasuke just yet. He's a strong kid, both of our sons are. Many would have faltered long before now, many here already have."

"Maybe you're right" Fugaku chuckled quietly. "He is an Uchiha at the end of the day, I shouldn't be surprised."

As Fugaku finished, he heard a loud bang in the distance. The sound in itself was alarming, but it was the direction that it was coming from that truly frightened both Fugaku and Hizashi.

"Shit, that's where Sasuke and Neji are right now!" Fugaku said, as he quickly withdrew a kunai. "Hizashi, can you-"

"Already have, they're both alive for now" Hizashi said, with the final two words spoken with difficulty. "They seem to be surrounded though, Fugaku we have to do something."

Fugaku hadn't even stayed to hear Hizashi say that as he had already set off towards his son. Fortunately, the edge of the barrier where they were stationed was not too far off, so Sasuke would only have to hold on for a short time. He just hoped that it would be short enough.

As he darted past the various rock formations that were in his way, he could hear the sound of fighting become clearer up ahead. Metal clashing with metal, yells from voices he didn't recognise. While they filled him with dread, the sounds were also slightly reassuring. They were signs that his son was still fighting, still alive.

As he reached the path that led to the clearing where Sasuke was, a group of masked Shinobi suddenly appeared before him. Fugaku noted the Iwa symbol on their forehead protectors that signalled that they were enemies, but Fugaku didn't let that stop him. In fact, he didn't even break stride as he made his hand seals.

"_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"_

Fugaku's flames were wide enough to engulf all of his enemies at one time and incinerate them. The Uchiha clan head paid no heed to the burned bodies as they hit the ground; he just saw them as another obstacle to get around. Up ahead, he heard a horrifying scream, which sounded like the voice of a young boy. Panicked, Fugaku increased his speed until he finally reached the clearing where he would find the boys. When he got there, he was stunned by what he saw.

Sasuke and Neji were stood, back-to-back, with a small assortment of bodies lying around them. The tips of Neji's fingers were covered in blood and his body was littered with bruises. Sasuke's body reflected this, except it was his tanto that was dripping with the blood of his opponents. His breathing was laboured, and he was holding his arm in order to contain a visible wound.

"Amazing" Fugaku gasped, as he counted the number of Shinobi by the boys' feet. "They took out this many by themselves?"

"Are you surprised?" Hizashi enquired, as he caught up to him. "I told you, they're strong and do not falter."

"Hey look Neji, our Dad's are here," Sasuke pointed out, speaking between breaths. "Say, are you all right?"

"Thanks to you" Neji replied. "If you hadn't blocked those Shiruken that attacked me from my blind spot with your arm, I'd have-"

"It's fine, you don't need to say it" Sasuke said, as he fell to his knees. "What kind of Shinobi would I be if I let a comrade die? But now, seeing as back up has arrived, I hope you don't mind but I think I need to rest."

Sasuke evidently meant right away, as he fell towards the ground. Fugaku moved quickly to catch him before he hit the ground. As he held Sasuke in his arms, he realised that it was the first time he had done so since he was a small child. He looked down at his sons face, half expecting to see the calming face he always had when he slept. Instead, he was greeted by pained expression. Evidently, Sasuke struggled even when unconscious.

* * *

"_A Shinobi needs more than just physical strength_" Fugaku thought, as he put Sasuke on his back in order to bring him back to camp. "_Sasuke, there's still more you have to learn._"

"_Wait… we're… what?"_

_The expression on Naruto's face almost broke Minato's heart. What's worse is that it was the second time he had seen it in a week. The first time was difficult enough. He couldn't really get his around it that the Kyuubi, that horrible creature that killed the last Hokage and terrorised the village, had been sealed within him all this time. He had gone from shock, to confusion, to anger to depression within a few seconds. _

_In all honesty, he hadn't planned on telling Naruto about it until he was much older and more equipped to handle it. He'd be able to understand that those times when he couldn't control his anger growing up had been all part of this. He would be capable of grasping how and why this was done. None of that was possible now, he was still too young. _

_Still, it had to be done. The war had made it a necessity for Naruto to grasp control of the power. Minato had no idea what would happen in the future, Naruto had to be prepared. For both his sake, and the sake of the village. _

"_I'll only undo it slightly, not enough for it to come out" Minato reassured his son. "We just need to see if you can keep control using its chakra. You understand about controlling it, don't you?"_

_Naruto nodded his head but Minato wasn't entirely convinced. But, he had no choice but to proceed. He lifted up Naruto's shirt and placed his hand over where he knew the seal was. After a couple of seconds, the harsh black seal materialised. _

"_You ready for this?" Minato asked one last time. _

"_Yes" Naruto nodded. _

_Without wasting any more time, Minato carefully and very slowly moved his hand counter-clockwise. The seal followed this hand movement, and he stopped after the smallest of movements of the seal. _

_Nothing happened for the first few seconds and Minato thought that maybe he hadn't opened it enough. Then, there was a horrible gust of wind. Naruto screamed out in pain and the atmosphere around him suddenly heated up. Red chakra exploded around him, encasing Naruto within. Minato thought that he could even see a shadow of the Kyuubi itself in there. _

"_Naruto?" Minato called out to his son. "Naruto, can you hear me?"_

_Naruto was looking at him. He was on all fours, his hair wild and the iris of eyes red. His fingertips had become sharp and beast-like and so had his teeth. He growled at his father, and dug his fingers in to the dirt beneath him. _

_He roared again and set off at a run towards Minato. He jumped up and aimed a punch at Minato, who had to move quickly in order to block. _

"_Naruto, you need to calm down!" Minato yelled out. "Just look at me, remember who you are!"_

_Naruto ignored him completely and attacked again. This time, Minato caught the punch but had to let go immediately. The chakra that Naruto was covered in was painful to touch, even for just a second. That was when Minato realised; this was actually causing him pain. _

"_All right, I end this now!" Minato declared, as he reached in to his pouch. _

_He pulled out a paper seal created for suppressing chakra and moved in. Fortunately, he was still far faster than his son and was able to place the seal on his forehead. It took around half a minute, but he finally settled and collapsed to the ground. _

"So that's what happened," Minato said, as he finished recounting his story.

Jiraiya, who had just arrived in Minato's office a few minutes before, had listened intently to the entire thing. He allowed himself a minute or so to digest the information.

"I agree with what you said then" he began. "That's not going to work no matter what we try. We need another method."

"Well, I heard a rumour that the Kumo's Jinchuriki Killer Bee-"

Minato was cut off as Genma and his squad walked in. Minato noticed how exhausted they looked, and that they were uncharacteristically a few minutes late turning up for their meeting.

"What's going on?" Minato asked them.

"Well, it's been a while since he had to use Hirashin isn't it?" Genma said. "Takes more out of us than we thought."

"Why did you use Hirashin?" Minato asked, not liking where the conversation was heading.

"Well, we had no other way of getting Aoba over to Kakashi's camp did we?"

Minato stood up straight away, alarmed at what was said.

"Aoba is supposed to be watching Naruto right now, he shouldn't have been going anywhere" Minato said.

Everyone in the room realised what this might mean and everyone had the same thought. Without saying any more, everyone rushed over to Minato's house and towards Naruto's room. To their surprise, Aoba greeted them when they got there.

"I thought you said that-"

"We did, I can assure you" Genma answered Jiraiya's question before he could finish.

While the rest were confused, Minato had already figured out exactly what had gone on. Ignoring everyone else, he burst in to Naruto's room to find his son sitting on the bed.

"Damn it!" Minato said, as he kicked the ground. "I knew it!"

"What's going on?" Jiraiya asked, still confused.

"That's a clone, the real Naruto was taken via Hirashin to the outpost in the Land of Hot Springs" Minato said. "Sensei, can you look after things while I'm gone? I won't be long."

* * *

One thing that Kakashi had come to was seeing enemy Shinobi falling before him. He didn't find any pleasure in it; he would be worried if he did. He just accepted the fact that it was either them or the people he cared about, and he knew where his loyalties lay. So, with just a single Kunai in his hand, he cut down every enemy he spotted. Waves of Kumo Nin kept on coming though; there was no end in sight. All Kakashi could see in front of him was the clashing of blades and the exchange of ninjutsu.

"Gai, there's a group attacking down the right!" Kakashi yelled out to his second in command. "You cover that, I've got things here!"

"Right, my eternal rival!" Gai yelled enthusiastically, clearly not allowing the battle to affect his youthful charm.

Kakashi parried an attempted strike from a nearby opponent before dealing with him as well. However, he had a feeling that the next enemy that arrived on the horizon would not be as easy to deal with.

"Copy Ninja Kakashi, my this is an honour."

"You're the Raikage, aren't you?" Kakashi asked, although he already knew the answer. "Can't say I expected to find you out here."

"I bet you didn't" the Raikage smirked. "Now, I'd talk to you more but I'd rather get this over and done with quickly. Once we've dealt with you, our march to Konoha will be far smoother."

"Come and try it!" Kakashi said, as he extended his arm downwards.

The wonderful sound of birds chirping filled the air and the familiar feeling of lightning in his hand returned. He then set off towards his target at speed. Just before he reached him, the Raikage covered himself with his own lightning. Despite this, Kakashi didn't bother to stop his attack; he'd got too close anyway. He then thrust his hand forward and straight through the lightning shroud, piercing the Raikage's chest.

"Impressive" the Raikage commended Kakashi. "To think, it would have the piercing power to break through. Yet, it's still too weak, just like you and your village. So, now it's time to die."

He grabbed Kakashi and raised him above his head with both arms. The Raikage's vice-like grip was so tight that Kakashi thought he might burst in any second. But he knew that wasn't what he should be worried about.

"_Liger Bomb!"_

The Raikage slammed Kakashi in to the ground with enough force to create a small crater. Nobody could possibly survive such a devastating attack and Kakashi was no exception. Except, that attack didn't kill him.

"I see" the Raikage said. "So, where's the real one?"

Kakashi, for the first time since the battle began, stepped out from behind the trees.

"_The lightning clone didn't even phase him when it was destroyed. That lightning shroud is as dangerous as Sensei said" _Kakashi thought. _"I also can't doubt his speed, he's far superior to me. I'm going to have to use THAT jutsu in order to fight with him._"

As if hearing Kakashi's thoughts, the Raikage charged straight towards him. Kakashi pulled out two silver kunai's from his pouch. One of them he dropped on to the floor behind him, the other he threw to the side. As the Raikage approached, Kakashi made a sign with one hand and disappeared before he could be hit.

"You really are his student" A growled, angered for the first time in the battle. "You even know the same cowardly jutsu. Well, don't go thinking you'll be able to beat me with this. I've been planning on fighting against Minato, my speed will now be quick enough to beat Hirashin."

More lightning surrounded the Raikage, as he roared louder.

"_I can't use Hirashin like Minato Sensei does, I don't have the chakra for it. Besides, I can't just keep running from him like this, he'll catch me eventually. What I need to do is attack him. I need a jutsu strong enough to-"_

Kakashi had to teleport again as he narrowly avoided A's stray arm heading towards him.

"_-Both pierce the shroud and damage his body. I only have one attack like that but it's not complete. No, that doesn't matter. I have to use it now."_

Kakashi avoided one more blow before preparing his attack. He held his hand out and gathered the chakra in to a ball in his hand.

"The Rasengan? Don't make me laugh, I've been preparing to counter that for years" A laughed. "Fine, let's see what it can do then. But beware Hatake, you aren't a clone this time."

Kakashi ignored the taunt and set off again to attack. The Raikage also ran towards him, ready to counter as soon as Kakashi faltered. As they approached, Kakashi's hand lit up with that familiar lightning once more.

"What?" The Raikage exclaimed.

"_Raiton: Raisengan!"_

With the piercing power of the Raikiri and the destructiveness of the Rasengan, Kakashi hit the Raikage full force. The power of the technique caused A to fly backwards while yelling in pain. However, Kakashi didn't get away injury free either. The attack caused his entire left arm to feel numb and he struggled to move freely. He hadn't yet been able to perform that jutsu without hurting himself in the process.

"Well, at least-"

"At least you've beaten me?"

Kakashi stood gobsmacked as the Raikage stood up once more. There was a noticeable and bloody mark on his body and his Lightning Shroud was no longer active, but he was standing and ready to fight again.

"My body is durable enough to withstand that technique," he groaned. "I told you, I plan to fight Minato. In order to do that, I must get past you."

Kakashi placed prepared his seal, to dodge another blow. He had no intention of giving up just yet; he wasn't out of options just yet.

The Raikage prepared to charge but stopped just before he did. Confused, Kakashi noticed that his eyesight was no longer on him. He was looking at someone behind Kakashi, just to the left. Kakashi followed his gaze and then laid eyes upon what he was looking at.

"Oh no" he said, feeling panic shoot through him. "Tell me you're not."

Naruto was stood right where Kakashi had been standing at the start of the battle. Kakashi knew exactly what the Raikage was thinking and knew that he had to stop it at all costs.

However, there was a problem with that. The Raikage was already significantly faster than him even without Kakashi's current mobility issues. Which meant it was no surprise when A simply darted around Kakashi and towards Naruto, who seemed totally oblivious.

"_Shit!" _Kakashi thought, before he noticed a gleam at Naruto's feet. "_The kunai! I can just about get there first."_

Kakashi did just that and he was instantly standing between Naruto and a rampaging Raikage. However, that was the full extent of his plan, as he still had no way of stopping him.

"Naruto, you need to run!" Kakashi screamed to the now frightened boy behind him.

"But Kakashi-"

"JUST DO IT!" Kakashi yelled again as A closed in.

"Out of my way!" the Raikage bellowed, before extending his right arm outwards.

"Please Naruto, I don't want anything to happen to you" Kakashi begged, as he raised his arms up in an attempt to block the attack.

"_Lariat!"_

* * *

It was as if everything happened in slow motion. One second, Minato was standing in Naruto's room, seething at the thought of his Son betraying his trust like that. The next second, he was standing on the edge of the forest, viewing a completely horrific site, one that would be burned in to his mind for the remained of his life.

He could only stand and watch as A's powerful arm smashed through Kakashi's defence with ease. Could only watch as the arm then collided heavily with his chest, causing his head to snap backwards. Could only watch as he began to fly backwards from the force of the hit. This was when Minato finally realised that he was free to move and he did so to catch his pupil.

He heard the sound of battle suddenly stop and Minato knew that he was the reason. He could see that Naruto was stood there, both shocked and frightened. But he didn't care, not at that moment. All that mattered in his eyes was the young man in front of him, bleeding on the ground. Minato wasn't used to this, he didn't have experience with the injured. Especially when they were in such a dire state.

He looked up desperately to his right and, as if it were a reflex, called out "Ri-"

The word stuck bitterly in his mouth before he could finish it. He then turned again and shouted at the nearest Shinobi he could see.

"Where the hell are the medics? Get them out here now! Anyone who knows any medical ninjutsu, come here!"

No one moved, no one came to help. They all gave him this look that reflected Minato's inner thoughts that he tried to ignore: there's nothing they can do. He could tell that when he first saw Kakashi, first saw that his chest had been completely split.

"Sensei, is that you?" Kakashi spluttered between his laboured breaths.

"Don't talk Kakashi, we'll fix this. We'll get you better," Minato said desperately. "You need to save your strength."

Kakashi let out a few sickening coughs as he wheezed out his breaths. With each passing second, it was clear that it was getting harder for him.

"I'm glad you're here Sensei, at the end."

"Kakashi, don't-"

"Please, just let me talk" Kakashi begged weakly. "I don't have much time to say this."

Minato nodded his confirmation that he would do so, before grabbing hold of Kakashi's hand. He wanted to leave him in no doubt that he was there for him.

"I'm not great with words, so I'll keep it short" Kakashi began, his voice gradually getting quieter. "After all I've done in my life, after how much stuff I've messed up, I never thought that I deserved to be happy. I thought that I would spend my life alone, living simply to serve the village. But you Sensei, you and Kushina changed that. I was never as happy in my life as I was whenever I was in your home. Whether it was for Naruto's birthday parties or to simply share a meal. So, I guess all I want to say is that-"

Kakashi coughed weakly a few more times and his voice became even quieter, so Minato had to lean in to hear Kakashi's final words.

"Thank you both for replacing the parents that I lost."

With Kakashi's very last breath, silence descended on the battlefield. Minato just sat still staring at the now lifeless body he was holding. He just looked so small again, as if he was that undersized Genin he had taken in all those hears ago again. Around him, he noticed that the Shinobi had not yet taken up arms again. Except for one man.

"That's enough, remember where you are!" A yelled out to his troops. "This is no time for sympathy or sentimentality. Which brings me to my point. Minato, drag your self away from the trash in your arms and face me. I'd like to finally kill you here and now."

As if to prove his point, he jumped straight in to his highest grade of lightning armour. However, Minato was not the first to react. Instead, Naruto let out a deafening howl aimed at the Raikage.

"Shut your rotten mouth!" he shrieked, his voice almost unnatural in tone. "Speak about Kakashi again and I'll rip your throat out!"

The red chakra began to envelop Naruto once again and he prepared to attack. But before he could move an inch, Minato was by his side. Not a single person had even noticed him move and only A was even able to see him move his arm to place the seal on his son's forehead.

"Well, isn't this all very interesting?" A smirked. "Lots of revelations coming about today and your increased speed is only one of them. With any luck, your death will be the final one Minato."

The second A finished speaking, Minato made his move. With a flash befitting his moniker, he darted across the battlefield. Even after the earlier demonstration, A was surprised at the raw pace. He was just about able to move his head in time to avoid Minato's punch.

"Not bad Minato, but-"

An incredible force somehow smashed in to the side of A's face and sent him crashing in to the ground. The pain he felt from it was unreal, it was even worse than the hits he received from his father in training. Before he could even figure out what was going on, Minato was on top of him, delivering another incredible blow to his torso.

That was when A noticed it, the difference in his opponent. It was his eyes. It wasn't just the fact that there was orange shading around them or that they now resembled the iris of a toad. It was the pure, unadulterated rage he could see in them. For possibly the only time in his life, Minato Namikaze was truly angry.

He took out his anger by putting A's body to the test, applying a series of crushing blows to his battered body. In between each one, he yelled out another word in anger.

"YOU. JUST. WOULDN'T. LET. IT GO. WOULD. YOU?"

Occasionally, a Kumo Shinobi would attempt to stop Minato but they would either be intercepted by another Konoha Shinobi or kicked away by Minato himself. After beating down A for a couple of excruciating minutes, Minato held out his arm and summoned an incredibly large and violent looking Rasengan. He yelled out as he sent it flying downwards towards A's face. Both armies, which by this stage had become little more than a crowd to this battle, gasped at the apparent finale.

Minato stopped just short of the Raikage's face. He extinguished his attack and pulled up a weary and bruised A so that their faces were almost touching.

"Just so you know, the fact that you live while Kakashi dies sickens me to my stomach" Minato spat. "I'd like for nothing more than to kill you right now for what you've done, not only to Kakashi but everyone in my village. But I won't, I can't do it. I've professed to stop wars and end this cycle of hatred for years. So, I'll be the one to stop this cycle before it starts. I will spare your pathetic life."

With that Minato stood up and began walking back towards Kakashi's body. As he did so, he shouted towards the enemy Shinobi.

"Take your leader back to your village, Konoha Shinobi are under my orders to allow you to leave" he said. "It is not often you will get this generous offer, I suggest you take it."

They did as they were told, although it wasn't clear if it was out of respect or downright fear. Minato didn't particularly care; all he wanted to do was get Kakashi's body back to Konoha. He bent down and slowly picked it up, before walking over to Naruto, who was also unconscious.

"Gai" Minato called out, but initially received no response.

He looked around to see Gai standing frozen, simply staring at Kakashi's body as if it were a part of him.

"Gai!" Minato repeated more forcefully.

"Don't worry, I'll keep things going smoothly in his place" Gai responded, his voice clearly lacking his usual enthusiasm. "Everything will be as it was when he was running things, I won't let either of you down."

Minato simply nodded his approval before activating his Hirashin and returning to the village with both of his sons over either shoulder.

* * *

It was late by the time Minato returned home. After handing Naruto over to Jiraiya and explaining what had happened, he had taken Kakashi to the morgue himself. After making sure that everything was okay there, he walked back to his home.

He paused at the door for a second before walking in. He supposed that Jiraiya would have explained what had happened; there was no way Kushina wouldn't get it out of him when he walked in with an unconscious Naruto. Knowing how close she was, he was expecting to walk in to an emotional wreck. He had to mentally prepare himself before facing that.

When he eventually walked in, he was met with an unexpected sight. Kushina was stood in the middle of the room, her arms straight and her gaze straight on him. He could tell that she had been crying, her pale expression and the redness around her eyes told him that. But her stare displayed her strong will and he understood this message perfectly. It wasn't her that needed to be comforted this time.

She was right he just hadn't realised it until then. He practically collapsed in to her arms, finally letting out the tears that he had been suppressing for hours. Jiraiya was also there and he too gave his condolences and comfort.

They decided that it was best to inform Kakashi's classmates personally as soon as possible. Those that were still in the village were contacted and arrived at Minato's home. He was personally stunned at how so few were still remaining, even when taking in to account those that were away.

They sat around and shared stories while drinking from the sake that Jiraiya had brought. Some of them laughed at memories, some cried. Minato didn't do either and spent most of the night in quiet contemplation, mostly ignoring what was happening around him. After a while, everyone filtered out and just he, Kushina and Jiraiya were left.

"I failed" Minato said, as he drained the last of his glass. "I was charged with protecting those three kids and I failed miserably. I was too late to get to Obito, never arrived for Rin and even when I got there for Kakashi I did nothing."

"Minato don't pin this on yourself" Kushina said, as she grabbed his hand.

"She's right, you couldn't have done any more than you did" Jiraiya added. "This is just the alcohol talking now.

"I've failed at everything" Minato continued, unperturbed by their words. "And Kakashi is the one who eventually paid the price. Everyone will be better off without me."

He then got up and headed towards the door. Kushina also stood and called out to him concerned.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed" Minato answered flatly. "Hopefully I won't wake up on the morning, so I don't have to see anyone else pay for my mistakes."

* * *

A could feel pain everywhere in his body. His body was broken but that was nothing compared to his pride. Total defeat against the man he had been training to face for years. It had him in a reflective mood.

"_I'm still alive," _he thought. "_By all rights, he should have killed me. Anyone else would have done, it's understandable. If he had killed Darui, or C I would not have spared him no matter what my beliefs are. Maybe, just maybe-"_

"Oh, Lord Raikage, so the rumours are true."

The last person who he wanted to see at that moment had just walked through the door. His slightly satisfied smirk had made A wish that he remembered about their meeting that night and cancelled.

"Minato really did a number on you, didn't he?"

"Shut it Onoki, like you would do any better" A snarled. He's far stronger than either of us."

"You have a point I suppose" Onoki said. "Actually, I've been thinking the same thing. Konoha has far too many exceptional Shinobi, although I heard that you got rid of one of them yourself today."

A merely grunted, which was a signal for Onoki to just get on with what he was saying.

"When combining their forces with Suna, it makes them too powerful for even our combined forces to bring them down."

"So what? You just want us to give in?" A enquired. Although he had to admit that the idea didn't seem completely ludicrous to him.

"Not at all, in fact it's the opposite" Onoki grinned slyly. "I've taken the liberty of enlisting some outside help. A little mercenary group I've used in the past for a few missions here and there. It's filled with spectacular Shinobi, each one powerful enough to take on even us Kage."

A seemed rather doubtful about this, but was still interested regardless.

"So, who are they then?" A demanded to know.

"They call themselves, the Akatsuki."

* * *

**1****st**** March 786**

From: Office of the Hokage

To: Name withheld

Dear **Sasuke Uchiha**

It is of my deepest regret to inform you that **Kakashi Hatake** has been declared **K.I.A **on **27th February**. I express the utmost sympathy for your loss, as **he **was a great asset to Konoha. You have paid leave to return home for the funeral.

Yours sincerely,

Shiranui Genma, Assistant to the Hokage

* * *

**A/N: Wow, long chapter (for me at least). I just couldn't find a good place to stop so I kept going. Anyway, I'll answer a couple of reviews and questions while I'm here, seeing as I've gone 14 chapters without doing it. **

**MySadistChibi – I did mention this a few chapters back but I'm fine with saying it again. I'd already decided on Tobi's identity before I started writing this and I'm not planning on changing this. So, he's not going to have his canon identity that was recently revealed. **

**Writing Bunny – Naruto's still Uzumaki based on a couple of things. Firstly, in Japan surname tends to go with whichever family has the most prestige rather than just the father (or so I've been told), and the Uzumaki are clearly well respected. As far as we know, Minato doesn't have a privileged background. Secondly, in a "What If" cover page in the manga, Kishimoto noted them as the "Uzumaki Family" so I just went with that. **

**I think that was it for questions so I'll just say thanks to all you regular readers and reviewers and I hope that you will continue to do both in the future!**

**Next Chapter: Grief**


	15. Grief

Chapter 15: Grief

"The Akatsuki?"

A had a feeling that he had heard the name at some point before but he wasn't sure exactly where. Probably in some report that he had skimmed over at some stage, which would have been seemingly unimportant at the time.

"Like I said, they are an independent mercenary organisation" Onoki repeated. "Very reliable, I have entrusted them with dangerous assignments in the past."

"There's a difference between carrying out a few missions and helping to turn the tide in a war, Onoki" A grunted. "The fact that I know very little about them means that they must be small. So how the hell are they supposed to make a big difference here?"

Onoki smirked, a clear signal that he knew something that A didn't.

"They are a rather small organisation, as far as I know they have only twelve members," Onoki said. "However, you're forgetting what I said before about their strength. If you need proof of that I'll tell you something interesting. Every single one of them will be near the top of your bingo book."

It took A a second to realise what Onoki meant, but once he did he felt anger suddenly swell up inside him.

"S class Rogue Shinobi? You expect me to take help from international criminals?" A roared. "Just because you have no class Onoki doesn't mean that I should sink to such levels as well."

Onoki made a move to respond to that but he was stopped in his tracks by a soft laugh that echoed across the room. The sound was both delicate and menacing at the same time and it sent a cold shiver down A's spine. The sound of footsteps that came after indicated that the person responsible was just about to enter the room and he wasted no time introducing himself.

"Given the situation you're in, I don't think you have a choice."

A didn't quite recognise the voice but he knew who the man was when he walked in. That sickly pale skin combined with those horrible yellow eyes were famous the world over, as were the stories of the horrendous crimes against nature he had performed. Just seeing the man pushed A over the edge.

Without thinking, he jumped from the table and ran towards him. He regretted this movement just a second later when he was restricted from moving by a snake, which he realised was coming from the mans sleeve.

"That was a rather disappointing display, I'd have expected more from the Raikage" he chuckled. "Although, I suppose those wounds of yours are making things a little more difficult. I dare say they make you rather vulnerable right now, don't they?"

A could feel the snake squeeze him a little tighter at that point, making it difficult to breathe.

"Orochimaru, cut it out" Onoki barked from his seat. "We're here for a meeting, not to try to kill each other."

Orochimaru complied by slowly released A from his grip and allowing him to fall to the floor. A could hear him laughing under his breath at this, before going to take his seat. The whole situation made him suddenly feel incredibly uneasy, so much so that he regretted not allowing Darui or C to join him in the meeting.

"So, you're the one behind this Akatsuki group then?" A grunted, as he made his way back to his seat.

"No and don't bother asking who really is because I don't know" Orochimaru replied slyly.

A wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he was glad that he wasn't an associated with an organisation ran by such a depraved being. On the other, it was very unsettling to know that the Akatsuki had ten others on Orochimaru's level and another commanding them all who was likely stronger.

"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it" A said. "Just so you know, I don't trust you. You Akatsuki are not to set foot in my village. Any communication we have is to be conducted here in Iwa."

"That's okay, you're the one paying us after all" Orochimaru grinned wickedly.

"If you're both finished, I'd like to start discussing tactics" Onoki interrupted, obviously getting irritated.

"Ah yes, I can confirm that the operation we discussed will begin within the next 24 hours" Orochimaru said.

"What operation would this be?" A demanded to know.

"Oh, just a little plan we discussed" Orochimaru chuckled, as he played with the ring on his finger. "One that will have an even more devastating effect now that you've weakened the Hokage's mental state."

* * *

The mood in the camp had shifted; Itachi could feel it straight away. All the positivity that had been going around recently had been completely destroyed in one fell swoop and it wasn't just because of the light rain that had been consistently falling over the past month, including that day.

News of the death of Kakashi Hatake, one of the Commanders of the war and legendary hero of Konoha, had reached the outpost. Itachi had noticed that there had been several reactions to this but they all had one thing to unite them: negativity.

For some, the realisation that a man as powerful as Kakashi could die was a very unwelcoming reminder of their own vulnerability and mortality. For others, Kakashi was a man they looked up to and admired. He was a famous and celebrated Shinobi, but he was still someone you'd see around the village everyday. Everybody knew Kakashi and everyone considered themselves his friend. This sense of mourning was written on everyone's face. For Itachi, the first thing he fought when he heard the news after returning from his early morning mission was:

"_Sasuke."_

He walked towards Sasuke's tent, giving a polite nod to the gloomy faces he passed on the way. Other than knowledge of his reputation and the time they briefly clashed a few years before, Itachi didn't know Kakashi very well. He had already left the ANBU by the time Itachi had joined, although his legend remained. All of his teammates had stories about him. About how he had once taken out an entire platoon by himself or a frankly ludicrous story of when he cult a bolt of lightning. It's no surprise that his death brought such a reaction.

"_That's just from people who barely knew him_," Itachi thought, as he reached the entrance to Sasuke's lodgings. "_I can't begin to imagine what Sasuke is feeling right now._"

Itachi paused at the entrance, unsure if he should enter. He was acutely aware that he hadn't seen as much of his brother as he wanted to over the last year and it had been even longer since they'd had a deep conversation like this. He found it ironic that out of all the horrors he had faced in the past year, he was more scared of talking to the person he cared about most in the world.

After settling his nerves, he entered. The tent contained 8 or 9 different bunks, all of which were very basic. Even though Itachi was one of the few with private quarters, he preferred this set up. It helped to encourage camaraderie between soldiers, to fight off those feelings of intense loneliness.

He turned the corner and found that Sasuke's bunk was empty. It wasn't too surprising really. Assuming that Sasuke had already learned the news, it was likely that he went to get some air. As Itachi turned to leave, he was drawn to the piles of paper that were strewn on the ground. The haphazard manner with which they had been left there was rather unlike Sasuke, who had always been very neat and orderly with his possessions. He knew it was wrong of him to pry, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Itachi knew what the letter on top of the pile just by giving it a quick glance. The letters sent to inform friends and relatives of a soldier's death were always set out the same way and Itachi had seen more of them than he cared to remember. Surprisingly, he noticed that Sasuke had been given the option to attend the funeral. Given the relatively small numbers of Konoha's military, it was imperative that as many Shinobi as possible were deployed to defend the outposts. So allowing more than just close family to return for a funeral was definitely a bold move.

Although, this wasn't the most noticeable thing that Itachi had noticed on the page. Instead, it was the big wet blotches that were dotted around the paper. In fact, Itachi noticed that the same was true for many of the other documents that were spread across the floor.

"_He always was much more willing to show his emotions than I am_" Itachi thought, as he reached down for another letter.

It turned out that the reams of paper on the ground were letters, all of which had been sent by the same person. Itachi was aware that Sasuke had been in communication with Kakashi, but he didn't realise the frequency with which they wrote to one another.

"_This many in just a year? I'm surprised that Kakashi would have the time to write so much given his other responsibilities."_

He scanned a few of the letters over the next few minutes and was surprised at what he found.

"_Hang in there Sasuke… What you need to do is…. I'll talk to the Hokage about it and see if I can help…. Wow, these are very in depth and personal. At least one of us was acting like an older brother for him."_

Itachi dropped the letter on the floor and sighed, adjusting his headband as he did so. He noticed that the cloth of the headband was badly worn, probably due to the amount of times he adjusted it per day, due to the stress he was under. He made a mental note to repair it later before standing up from Sasuke's bunk and heading outside.

"Have you seen Sasuke?" Itachi asked one of the Shinobi walking nearby.

"No sir" the middle aged man responded, adding a hint of disdain to the last word. "It's not my job to keep track of little kids."

Itachi frowned but decided that it was best not to take it any further than that. Many of the more experience Shinobi were unhappy that he was second in command given his age and relative inexperience, he didn't need to give them another reason to dislike him. Not that he cared on a personal level of course, but disharmony in a camp spelled trouble, which he wanted to avoid.

"Itachi, there you are."

Itachi turned to see Hizashi Hyuga walking towards him. He didn't know him very well, but from what Itachi had seen he was a friendly and approachable man, which was more than could be said for his brother.

"Your father has requested your presence at a meeting."

Meeting was a rather polite way of putting it, Itachi usually thought of them as scheduled arguments. They rarely agreed on anything and by the end of it, his father would usually just do what he wants. His presence at the meetings was rather unnecessary in his view, but then again not turning up would just lead to a bigger argument later. He had to make a call.

"Sorry, I have other matters to attend to right now, send my father my apologies" Itachi said, and walked off before Hizashi could give a response.

After rejecting his father, Itachi knew that he had to make this count. As luck would have it, he saw Neji, Hizashi's son, walking past him at that moment. He knew that he and Sasuke had become rather close over the time spent at the outpost, if anyone knew where he had gone it would be him.

"Neji" Itachi called out, and the young Hyuga came to an immediate halt.

"Sir?"

"Have you seen Sasuke today?" he asked.

"Yeah, early this morning" Neji sighed, his eyes softening. "Poor guy, he was a wreck, wouldn't even say a word to me."

"So you don't know where he went?"

"No, I was a little worried so I tracked him" Neji responded. "He headed towards the training area and that's where he's stayed the last couple of hours."

"Thanks."

Itachi headed towards what was generously called the training area. In reality it was little more than an open area between the sides of two mountains, complete with a slippy gravel floor. It was used rather sparingly due to this impracticality, although Sasuke had spent a large amount of time there. It was common to hear the familiar sound of Chidori coming from area early in the morning, as Sasuke tried to iron out the imperfections in his variants of the technique.

No such sounds could be heard at that time, as Itachi made his way over there. The rain had picked up by the time Itachi reached the clearing, so much so that he had to activate his Sharingan in order to spot Sasuke at first. He saw that familiar chakra colour stood perfectly still in the middle of the area, his head pointing towards the ground.

As Itachi walked closer the rain died down a little more and he could see Sasuke more clearly. He was wearing the same outfit he wore when he participated in the final of the Chunin Exams, although it was a little small now. He also noticed that there were several scrapes on his body and he was breathing heavily.

"So you actually have been training then?" Itachi asked, deciding to say something more casual to break the tension.

Sasuke didn't speak for a few agonizing moments, as his shoulders rose and fell in synch with his breathing.

"He told me to keep training, it's the only way I'll master this change in chakra form" Sasuke replied. "He'd be disappointed in me if I slacked on this now."

Itachi gave a weak smile in response, although he realised the pointlessness of this a second later as Sasuke wasn't facing him.

"Are you all right?" Itachi said lamely.

"What do you think?" Sasuke shot back harshly. "The only person who showed that he give a shit about me during this war is now gone."

Even though Itachi knew that Sasuke probably didn't mean it, the words still stung, probably because there was also a layer of truth to them as well. He didn't try to apologise though; it wasn't the right time.

"Are you going to go back? For his funeral?"

Sasuke didn't seem like he was going to reply until he gave a quick nod.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

After another pause, Sasuke surprisingly gave another nod.

"I'd rather not go alone," Sasuke muttered. "Besides, Mom would be annoyed if she knew that I'd denied her the chance to see you."

Itachi would be lying if he'd said that he wasn't relieved by what Sasuke had said.

"All right, well there's a company heading back to Konoha in a couple of hours, you should probably head back and get ready to leave with them" Itachi said.

"Just give me a few minutes, I'm really close to getting this" Sasuke responded.

Itachi nodded and turned around to leave but Sasuke asked one more thing before he could move.

"Do you know who did it? Do you know who killed him?"

Itachi hesitated before answering. He had heard something but didn't know whether it was best for Sasuke not to know. Then again, he supposed that it was only a matter of time before he found out and it was better for him to learn now.

"I believe it was Kumogakure's Raikage."

Sasuke clenched his fist tight and grimaced.

"The Raikage?" Sasuke repeated before he turned his head towards Itachi, revealing the red six-pointed star shape that now resided in his eyes. "Good, now I know who I have to kill."

* * *

Shikamaru suppressed a yawn as he walked down the main street of the village, heading towards the entrance. It seemed he was constantly tired nowadays, both physically and mentally. Before, he had thought that his father had been laid back like him. However, the outbreak of war had brought out a more enthusiastic side and he'd worked Shikamaru like a dog. Whenever he complained, his father would merely tell him how he had to take responsibility now and grow up and continued to give Shikamaru a large amount of work to do each day.

Except, he had no work to do that day. Half the village wasn't working that day in fact. The usual fatigues were replaced with black shirts and pants, which Shikamaru was also wearing. Most people had quite a solemn expression, as if all of the hope that had previously been infectious in the village had been drained away. Shikamaru still couldn't get his head around it.

"_All of this in reaction to the death of one man?"_

Shikamaru had only known Kakashi as the Sensei of Ino's team and that's about it. But he'd come to appreciate just how revered he truly was in the village; even his father had shown visible shock and sorrow when he had heard the news.

However, Shikamaru secretly saw himself an optimist, despite what he displayed on the outside. If there was one good thing about all this, it was that Asuma Sensei was coming back to the village for the funeral. Of course, he'd have preferred it to be in more enjoyable circumstances but he was happy to see him nevertheless. That was the reason he was going to the gate, to greet him as he arrived.

When he got there, he saw that he wasn't alone. Ino was sat on a bench off to the right and judging by the tissue in her hand and the redness around her eyes, she had been crying again. Shikamaru wasn't usually one to deal with emotions, but it felt cruel to leave her sat on her own.

"Hey Ino" Shikamaru said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Oh Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" Ino replied, as she wiped her eyes.

Shikamaru knew that Ino could be quite proud when she wanted to be, so Shikamaru didn't respond to her obvious sadness and continued on the conversation as if everything was normal.

"I'm waiting for Asuma Sensei to get back, you?"

"Oh right, of course he'd be coming back" Ino said quietly. "I'm waiting for Sasuke, he should be getting here any second now."

The conversation fell a little flat and awkward after that. Just what was he supposed to say?

Fortunately, he didn't have to think of anything as a group of Shinobi walked through the gate. Shikamaru just about recognised the boy at the front, although he was quite a bit taller than he was last time they had met.

"Sasuke!" Ino wailed, as she ran over to him.

She embraced him in a tight hug but Shikamaru noticed that Sasuke didn't react at all. Usually he would try to shrug off such attempts but he did nothing. He caught sight of his classmate's eyes but he saw nothing in the way of emotion in them either.

"_Is that because of his Sensei's death or the war in general?_" Shikamaru wondered.

Whatever the reason, seeing Sasuke's transformation was very unsettling.

"I'm sorry for not returning your letters" Sasuke said.

"Don't worry about it, Sensei was" Ino began, but her voice tailed off before she could finish.

"Where's Shino?" Sasuke wondered, as he lazily looked around.

"He has a clan thing, apparently it's a tradition before attending a funeral" Ino replied. "I said we'd meet him when we get there."

"Sounds okay to me" Sasuke nodded. "Is it all right if I meet you there as well? I just wanted to get home and see my mother first."

Ino seemed a little disappointed but agreed nonetheless. After Sasuke and his brother had left, Ino bade farewell and left Shikamaru waiting alone. Although, he wasn't waiting long until another familiar face walked in.

"Asuma Sensei" Shikamaru called out, as he walked over to greet him.

"Hey Shikamaru" Asuma replied, with an unconvincing grin. "How've you been? Your Dad still working you hard?"

"Like you wouldn't believe" Shikamaru groaned. "I swear, I'd give anything to just go back to our training sessions again, they were at least tolerable."

Shikamaru was expecting a response such as "Oh well that could be arranged" or maybe something to do with him making his training sessions harder in the future. Yet, he remained silent, merely giving another of those horrible fake smiles. It wasn't quite the reunion Shikamaru was hoping for but he supposed that he should have expected this. Asuma had just lost one of his childhood friends.

"Asuma!"

Shikamaru heard the cries of a female voice behind him and turned to see a teary Kurenai running towards them. Shikamaru dutifully moved and the pair of them embraced. In contrast to the earlier display from Sasuke and Ino, this hug was full of raw emotion, as Kurenai openly sobbed into Asuma's chest, who also appeared to be tearing up. That was when Shikamaru decided to leave and waved to Asuma as he did so.

As he walked back down the main street, Shikamaru reflected on his change in mood since he last walked down it, not ten minutes before. He had a small sense of excitement then but that was replaced by numbness. Before then, he hadn't really gotten a sense of the war. Apart from some extra work, his life hadn't changed so much so why would he? But witnessing the grief, experiencing loss first hand like that had brought it all home for him. He had a sickening feeling that it wouldn't be the last time he'd experience this either.

* * *

The house was quiet, as it had been for the past few days. Naruto sat in the dining room, playing with the cereal in front of him, deep in thought. He'd realised that the Kyuubi hadn't spoke to him at all since it had happened and couldn't help wondering why? Did it feel pity for him? No, Naruto doubted that it could feel human emotions. Maybe it was just quietly enjoying his pain, waiting until he truly hit rock bottom to pounce.

His Mom then walked in to the room, holding a bowl of cereal for herself, though Naruto doubted that she'd eat it. He hadn't seen her eat much of anything for days. He could also tell that she'd been crying again, although she was determined not to do it in front of him. Whether it was to spare his feelings of guilt or to hide her shame of it he wasn't sure.

"I left your funeral clothes in your room, make sure to change before we leave" she said to him, as she too began to play around with the food.

Naruto merely nodded his head to reply. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was put on those clothes and go to that funeral. He could think of nothing more horrible than the idea of a funeral. People sitting around and crying, the immense focus on death, the guilt. Word must have gotten around by now, everyone must have known what he'd done. They'd all give him that look, the look that says a thousand words. The only look he'd received from his father for days.

And then he cried. He couldn't help it; he hadn't been able to help it since it happened. Images of Kakashi diving in front of the Raikage's attack, of his body lying lifeless on the ground and of his fathers tears were all circulating in his mind and he couldn't escape them no matter what he did. He couldn't forget, the memories were burned in to his mind forever.

"Shhh" came his mother's comforting voice, as she pulled him in close. "It's all right to cry, lets you know you can still feel."

He didn't see why that's a good thing, he'd rather not feel anything. He'd given up any future happiness in his life in order to eradicate his pain. In order to rid himself of the guilt he felt about killing the closest thing he had to an older brother.

"Okay, I'll clean this up you go get changed" Kushina stammered, pointing towards the still full bowls. "Your father will be back soon and then we have to go."

As Naruto headed towards the stairs, the front door creaked open. Minato slowly walked in, his eyes heavy and with a solemn expression. It took a second for him to notice Naruto and when he did he gave him a forced smile.

"You should get changed, we have to leave soon," he said softly, as he walked away before waiting for Naruto to answer.

Naruto listened as he heard Minato walk in to the kitchen and start talking with Kushina. Their conversation seemed relatively normal and lacked the awkwardness that he had just experienced.

"_So, it really is just me_" Naruto realised, as he walked slowly up the stairs. "_Maybe I lost more than just Kakashi that day._"

He took his time changing, trying to delay the inevitable, as if that were possible. Eventually though, his mom called down for him and he knew that he couldn't put it off any longer. By the time he reappeared, his parents were already stood at the door and waiting to leave. Without another word, they did just that.

The funeral sight was much larger than Naruto was expecting. The rows of seats stretched back very far and at the front were a simple black coffin, with several pictures of Kakashi on top. Naruto walked over and looked through them and one caught his eye in particular.

"Hey Dad, what's this?" Naruto nervously called out to his father.

Minato walked cautiously walked over and took the photo in his hands. His face turned to a warm grin for the briefest of moments.

"The picture we took when we first started our Genin team," he said. "I remember everything like it was yesterday. They were all so happy, so eager to become real Shinobi. I never would have thought…"

Minato's face reverted to its previous icy stare and he put the photo down.

"Anyway, maybe you should go sit down. We have to wait for everyone else to get here."

Deflated, Naruto did as he was told. His mother soon joined him, as Minato continued to pace around nervously and greeted mourners as they arrived. Even though he had already seen the seats, Naruto was still surprised by the sheer number that arrived. Amongst the crowd, Naruto spotted a few familiar faces. Kushina saw the same people and waved them over.

"Asuma, Shikamaru you can sit up here" she said.

The two both walked over and gave solemn nods as a greeting. Asuma took the seat directly next to Naruto, with Shikamaru one space over. Naruto gave a half-hearted smile to Asuma as a way to say hello, but he wasn't in the mood to make more of an effort. Next to Asuma, Shikamaru glanced miserably at the ground, something that Kushina didn't miss.

"Are you ok Shikamaru?" she asked sympathetically.

"Huh? Me?" Shikamaru replied, confused. "I could be better I guess, a lot better."

"Shikamaru's going to be sent out to my outpost in a couple of days" Asuma explained. "As you can tell, he's not very enthusiastic about it. He should count himself lucky, our outpost is far out and we don't see too much combat. He could have had it a lot worse."

Naruto sank further in to his chair as he listened to the news. Another one of his friends was being sent away, one of the last ones he had in the village. This realisation lead to a crazy thought. Was his father doing this on purpose as some kind of twisted punishment? It sounded ridiculous, but part of him couldn't shake off his suspicions.

"Naruto, how are you holding up?" Asuma asked, concern etched across his face. "I've been a little worried about you since I heard, sorry for not coming to find you as soon as I got back."

"It's fine" Naruto replied quietly. "I'm okay really, just have to adjust to everything I guess."

Naruto was never a great liar and he could practically feel Asuma's sceptical stare bearing in to him. Fortunately, at this time Minato stood up and began to address the audience.

"First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for attending today" he said, his voice surprisingly firm. "It means a lot to me personally and I'm sure it would mean a lot to Kakashi as well."

Minato set the tone for the rest of the funeral. There were anecdotes shared by many of Kakashi's former classmates, Kurenai's impassioned speech ended in tears and even Asuma, who was always the epitome of stoicism, was on the verge of tears. Each and every one of them was like a dagger in Naruto's heart, which uncovered new layers of guilt with each stab. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to get away from it all.

"I'll now invite everyone to come up and pay their last respects" Minato said.

As the audience stood and formed an orderly queue, Naruto took his chance to slip away unnoticed. He ran a short distance, not really sure where he was going exactly. He eventually found his way to a deserted alley, where he collapsed against the wall in tears.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered. "Kakashi, Mom, Dad, everyone. I, I…"

"Naruto?"

He looked up and saw the outline of Asuma looking towards him. Slightly embarrassed, Naruto quickly wiped his tears away and tried his best to change his expression.

"Sorry Sensei, I'm just, erm-"

"Naruto, I'm not interested in hearing any more excuses," Asuma barked. "Everyone can tell when you're trying to hide something like you are right now. I don't understand why someone like you, whose normally very outgoing, would want to hide his emotions at a time like this. You saw it out there; everyone is upset. It's okay to cry in public."

"Never said it wasn't" Naruto shot back. "What's not okay is being the cause of those tears, of that agony. Kakashi died because of me and I just… just… don't know what to do now."

Asuma sighed heavily and shook his head.

"You really believe that?" Asuma said forcefully. "I can understand that your feeling some survivors guilt, it's natural. But don't try to burden yourself with this; it isn't healthy in the long run. No one blames you for what happened, it's just an unfortunate turn of events."

"Tell that to my Dad" Naruto snorted.

"Naruto, your Dad's just upset. He and Kakashi were very close as you very well know" Asuma explained. "He doesn't blame-"

"How would you know?" Naruto shrieked, losing his temper. "You haven't been here, have you? You haven't seen the way he looks at me, the way he tries to avoid speaking to me. He might not have said it out loud, but you can bet that he blames me for what happened."

Naruto expected another retort from his Sensei, to be told that it was all in his head. It was why he hadn't told anyone else about his suspicions, not even his mother. Yet, that wasn't the reaction he got. Instead, Asuma bent down so he was on Naruto's level and placed his hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Look, grief is a horrible emotion" Asuma sighed. "It plays on your mind like nothing else and I've seen it destroy many Shinobi in the past. It makes people think irrationally at times. The thing you need to remember is to not let that happen to you. Don't let such a negative emotion enslave you, even if it has taken others. You must be strong in the face of these adversities; it's the only way you'll make it through. And always remember, you have people around you that do care for you."

Naruto wasn't too sure what to say to that so he gave a strong nod of affirmation.

"All right, lets get back there then, I think we both want to say our final goodbye."

* * *

"_Hey Sensei, come here I think I got it!"_

_Minato glanced up from the report he was reading, and saw an excited young boy looking over at him. Despite his doubts over his claims, Minato stood up and walked out from under the tree he had been using for shade and walked across the training field. _

"_Are you sure you have it Obito? Even Jiraiya Sensei didn't learn the first stage this quickly," he said. _

"_Well, I haven't got it exactly as you showed us" Obito admitted. "But, well just look."_

_Obito stretched out his hand and concentrated on the water balloon he was holding. Minato did the same and waited for something to happen. A few seconds went by before Obito spoke up. _

"_You see that?" he asked excitedly. _

"_See what?"_

"_The rotation!" Obito said, as if it was obvious all along. "I know it's only slight, but if you look really closely you can see it moving a little."_

_Minato could see no such thing but he also understood how frustrating it was to feel like you were making no progress. He'd been at it for hours; it was no surprise that his mind might start playing tricks on him. _

"_Oh right I see" Minato said with as much enthusiasm as he could. "Well, as impressive as that may be, you're still quite a way off from mastering it. I suggest that you keep going."_

"_Yes Sensei!"_

_Minato smiled and decided he'd check on how his other two students were doing. Rin was putting in a lot of concentration but was clearly struggling. Kakashi had stopped trying altogether, and was simply stood with his arms folded and eyes closed. _

"_It's not like you to give up Kakashi" Minato commented. _

"_Who said I gave up?" Kakashi replied. "I just didn't want to embarrass the other two by showing that I've already got this down."_

"_What? No way, I don't believe you!" Obito yelled. "You couldn't have possibly learned it that quick."_

"_Oh yeah? Watch this then."_

_Kakashi extended his right arm out and focused on the balloon. It immediately started to shake a little and the water inside could be heard moving around. Then, a few seconds later, it burst with a loud bang, sending the contents inside flying around. _

"_Wow Kakashi, that's amazing!" Rin swooned. _

"_Ah whatever, who cares about this anyway" Obito moaned, as he threw his water balloon down in annoyance. "Once I unlock my Sharingan I'll be way stronger than you."_

"_You know, you keep saying that but it's been a couple of years now and no Sharingan is anywhere to be found" Kakashi replied. "Guess you're destined to remain a loser forever."_

_The two continued bickering for another few minutes, before Minato cleared his throat so he could step in. _

"_I don't know what you're on your high horse for, this is all your fault Sensei!" Obito accused. _

"_What? How did I cause this?"_

"_Well, putting us up against each other is just asking for trouble" Kakashi pointed out. "You probably should have done this separately, then Obito wouldn't get so jealous."_

_Minato laughed and shook his head at the suggestion. _

"_Alright, maybe it wasn't my brightest idea" Minato admitted. "What do you suggest I do to correct it?"_

"_Buy us all lunch?" Rin suggested cheekily. _

"_Yeah, lunch at Ichiraku's on Sensei!" Obito declared, punching his fist in to the air. _

"_Wait-"_

"_Oh come on Sensei, don't be so cheap" Obito chuckled, as he cut off Minato before he could object. He then started a chant between him and Rin of "Sensei…Sensei…. Sensei…"_

A cold gust of wind brought Minato back from his nostalgia-induced coma. That warm summer afternoon was replaced with a harsh winter night. He was still in the same place though, albeit he was no longer in the middle of the field. Instead, he had taken up residence in front of the memorial stone, where he stared at the name that had been freshly carved towards the bottom.

" E."

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, simply lost in his own thoughts. It made him realise just how Kakashi could spend so long there each morning. Maybe he would be the one to take up the daily vigil, ensure that Obito and Rin wouldn't be lonely now that Kakashi had joined them, thanks to the Raikage.

Just the thought of his name made Minato's blood boil. Over the few days since it had happened, he'd questioned his decision to let him live. At the end of the day, they were at war. Killing the Raikage would have weakened the enemy significantly and may have prevented any future deaths. He also couldn't deny that he would have taken some pleasure in slamming a Rasengan in to his face, such suffering was only a fraction of what he deserved. But that would have been hypocritical of him. How could he preach that this cycle of hatred should end when he was a part of that cycle to begin with?

Before he could ponder this any further, he sensed a presence walking towards him. He recognised the chakra, so he didn't reach for the kunai in his pouch.

"Asuma, this is a surprise," he said, as the man came in to view.

"I just thought I'd take a look now, I'm heading out in the morning" Asuma replied. "Do you mind?"

Minato shook his head to confirm that he didn't. They both stood in silence for a while, simply staring.

"It's so hard to believe that he's gone" Asuma sighed. "I still half expect him to come walking over here with his nose in another one of those books."

Minato wasn't really in the mood for talking about that kind of thing but he could tell Asuma was, so he gave a simple nod.

"It's been hard on everyone," Asuma continued. "Especially Naruto, I've never seen him so upset."

"Yeah" Minato agreed. "Kakashi was a big part of his life since he was a child."

"Oh, so you know how much he's struggling?" Asuma said, his tone suddenly taking on a much more accusatory nature. "You have a funny way of showing it."

"What are you trying to say?" Minato asked, taken aback by the swift change in conversation.

"Cold looks, lack of conversation, it's all he's getting from you" Asuma said. "He thinks that you blame him for Kakashi's death. But I know you wouldn't do something so ridiculous, would you?"

Minato prepared to respond, but the words were caught in his mouth. He hadn't thought too much about it, but did he blame Naruto for this? He was certainly still holding some anger at him for disobeying him like that. The more he thought about it, the more stupid the idea became. Kakashi was weakened and was completely outclassed; the Raikage would have killed him regardless. Yet, all he could see was Kakashi jumping in front of Naruto, protecting him from an attack he wouldn't have experienced had he not gone to the battlefield.

"Unbelievable" Asuma spat. "You do, don't you? You blame that poor boy for something that's not really his fault. Do you have any idea how that makes him feel? Can you grasp what's going through his head right now? Not only does he have to get over the death of a loved one, he has to come to terms with his own father hating him."

"It's not like that-"

"Well he doesn't know that!" Asuma roared, his eyes wide in anger.

He took a few seconds to calm himself down before carrying on.

"I once told you of the difficulties of being a child that comes second to a village full of people, hoping that you wouldn't make the same mistake as my father. Well, you didn't because at the very least I always knew that my father cared for me despite his absence. Right now, Naruto probably can't say the same."

Minato had no response; he had been floored by Asuma's verbal beat down. But he wasn't done and the younger Sarutobi had one last thing to say before he left.

"I never thought there'd be a day where I didn't respect you as a man. The fact that today is that day is probably the thing that disappoints me most."

He then walked away in to the night, once again leaving Minato with so much to think about.

* * *

A snap of a twig. Such a small and innocuous noise, something that a normal person wouldn't pay too much attention to. Yet, to a Shinobi it may as well be an alarm bell such is the sense of danger that it emits. Kabuto Yakushi knew this all too well, which is why he suddenly stopped in his tracks when such a noise broke the silence of the night.

"What is it?" the man behind him grumbled. "Is there someone coming?"

"No, seems we got lucky" Kabuto replied. "There isn't anyone patrolling this particular area right now. Still, we can't afford that again."

"Which means we can't afford for you to do that again, Hidan" the man said, as he glared at his partner behind him.

"Fuck you Kakazu, it was-"

"Be quiet, this arguing will see us exposed" Kabuto warned.

After making extra sure that the coast was clear, Kabuto continued to lead the two men through the forest. It was a difficult journey that required a lot of concentration. He had only been able to discover the safe path through the forest a few hours before, meaning that he had little time to memorise it. One wrong step would set off the alarms and expose them, which would be nothing short of a disaster.

Finally, they reached the solid wall that ran around the outside of Konoha. He then turned to the figures behind him.

"I only have time to say this once, so listen carefully" he began. "In about 30 seconds or so, the light above us will go out, meaning that this small section of the wall will be completely dark. As soon as this happens, you have to run straight up the wall, be careful not to stray from the direct straight path as that will set off the alarm. Once that's done, drop to the ground below where you'll be met by the original, I'll end my clone jutsu the second the light disappears."

Just a second or so after that, the light did indeed disappear and Hidan and Kakazu made their move. Everything went well and they reached the ground within seconds.

"Infiltration successful" Hidan smirked. "Now then, we just wait for Kabuto and we can go grab the Kyuubi."

"It won't be that simple, idiot" Kakazu warned. "There are many obstacles still in our way, we need to be on guard. Remember, taking the Kyuubi now is merely preferential so we can get an upper hand in the war; it is not necessary. If we have to, we will retreat. "

Kakazu quickly scanned the area. Nothing seemed too suspicious to him, which was a relief. They were only on the outskirts of the village, behind a row of shops and houses. If they were detected in such an innocuous spot, it would make the rest of the mission much more difficult.

"Whatever" Hidan said dismissively. "We have an inside man, he's got everything covered I'm sure so it won't come to that. Speaking of which, this should be him coming now."

Hidan prepared to wave down the figure that was approaching them, but Kakazu quickly grabbed his hand.

"That's not him," Kakazu said quietly. "It seems that our man wasn't as prepared as we thought."

As the man landed in front of the duo slightly to their right, Kabuto did eventually arrive and landed slightly to the left. He turned in horror to see another Shinobi stood there, one he did not expect.

"Asuma?"

"Kabuto? What are you doing here?" Asuma asked aggressively.

"I was treating a patient and as I left their home I noticed the light on the wall go out. I thought it was suspicious so I came to check it out" Kabuto lied, saying whatever came to his head.

"I did a similar thing as I left the training field. Seems we were both lucky" Asuma smirked confidently.

"_The training field? What the hell was he doing there at this hour?" _Kabuto wondered. "_Never mind that, I have to focus. I need to know if anyone else saw this."_

"Who are you guys? And what are you doing in our village?" Asuma demanded of Kakazu and Hidan.

"Nothing that will concern you once you're dead!" Hidan cackled, as he connected his scythe. He was clearly trying to buy time though for Kabuto to come up with a plan.

"You sure we can take on these guys?" Kabuto asked, keeping up his act.

"We just need to hold them, I contacted the ANBU so they should be here any minute" Asuma explained.

"I see" Kabuto responded, as he drew a kunai. "Well in that case, it shouldn't be too difficult to proceed."

"Right, I'll take the one on the-"

Kabuto wasted little time and attacked Asuma as soon as he saw an opening. Moving with speed, he slammed the kunai in to the top of Asuma's back, just between his shoulder blades. It was admittedly a cowardly move, but Kabuto didn't have time to waste.

"Don't worry Asuma, the poison is fast acting so you'll be dead in a minute or so" Kabuto hissed in to his comrades ear, before turning to Kakazu. "You two need to leave now, if the ANBU have been notified then it won't be long until the Hokage finds out. We can't do this if he's on alert."

"What about you? Won't this look suspicious?" Kakazu asked.

"You underestimate my acting skills" Kabuto grinned wickedly. "Now go, I can hear them coming and take this kunai with you, I might be found out if they get a hold of that."

After Kabuto had thrown them the weapon, the two Akatsuki disappeared in to the blackness of the night. Changing tact, Kabuto placed Asuma on the ground and began performing medical ninjutsu.

"Sorry Asuma, but this won't help you at all," Kabuto whispered. "But I need to look convincing right?"

Asuma's face was covered in sweat and his breathing became heavy. As his consciousness appeared to fade, he looked in to Kabuto's eyes. Tears rolled down his cheeks, as he tried to splutter out his final words.

"Kurenai… Shikamaru… Hinata…. Naruto. Kabuto, if you have any kindness left in your heart, please-"

"Sure, I'll tell them. Who am I to deny a dying wish?" Kabuto said. "Besides, it will help with my cover, make me look more believable."

Asuma's eyes faded as the ANBU finally arrived. Without missing a beat, Kabuto turned on the tears and raised his voice to a high-pitched scream.

"Come on Asuma, don't give out on me!" he yelled.

"What happened?" the ANBU captain demanded to know.

"They went that way, two men in black cloaks!" Kabuto said, pointing towards the opposite direction from where the two had left. "Hurry, you might be able to reach them!"

Kabuto continued his attempted revival for another minute or so, just waiting for one of the ANBU to play his part. Finally, one of them obliged and bent down over Asuma's head.

"Kabuto, you need to stop," he said sympathetically.

Kabuto, pretending to be distressed, continued his medical ninjutsu until the ANBU made a more forceful announcement.

"It's no use!" he yelled, physically grabbing Kabuto to make him stop. "He's gone."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the wait again, I've been really busy. **

**As I expected, the reaction to the last chapter was quite mixed. Kakashi is one of my favourite characters so killing him off was tough but people die in war and I wanted to kill a character who would make an impact. I was also reluctant to kill Asuma this chapter, but his death is too important to the story (even though it might not seem like it right now) that I couldn't put it off. **

**Anyway, updates should be once every ten days or so for the next couple of months (hopefully). **

**Next Chapter: Attack of the Akatsuki **


	16. Attack of the Akatsuki

Chapter 16: Attack of The Akatsuki

Minato was hit with a moment of absurdity as he stood outside his son's bedroom door that evening. He'd faced down whole battalions in battle on his own, had to endure meetings with foreign dignitaries that were critical to maintaining peace and had even fought with the Kyuubi itself. Yet, he had never been more anxious than he was at that moment.

The truth was, Asuma's words had shaken him. He was worried about whether he had caused irreparable damage to his relationship with Naruto. Asuma's relationship with his father was an all too familiar example of a father-son relationship he wanted to avoid.

After gathering up enough courage, Minato slowly knocked on the door. The wait for a reply was agonising, as he felt the knot in his stomach pull tighter. Eventually, there was a softly spoken response.

"Yes? Who is it?"

Minato practically winced at the overly polite question. It just wasn't the Naruto he knew.

"It's me, you mind if I come in for a minute?"

Minato listened as Naruto slowly made his way towards the door, his footsteps heavy with grief. The door creaked open but Naruto walked back towards his bed before Minato could even catch a glimpse of him.

Unsure about how to approach the subject, Minato slowly circled the room, pretending to take interest in the various objects scattered about. He could see that Naruto was eyeing him nervously as well. He sighed and slowly shook his head, rightly ashamed of himself.

"I had a talk with Asuma today" Minato said.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly and he blushed a little, obviously aware of what his father was talking about. Still, he pretended to be oblivious.

"He's a good one that man" Minato continued. "Wasn't always that way though, he was a rebellious little so and so when he was about your age let me tell you. Still, the will of our village burns brightly in him now, no doubt about that. I could only hope that you'll grow up like that one day."

Naruto still seemed unresponsive to this. Deciding that he'd had enough of skirting around the issue, Minato chose to take a more direct tact.

"Naruto, listen to me" he said, bending down to his level. "I know that I've been a little distant recently, ever since it happened. I know that I should have been more present to help you through all this. I'm sorry for not doing that, really I am. But you need to know, that none of this is your fault. Not for one second have I blamed you, the thought never even crossed my mind."

"But why?" Naruto stammered. "I mean, if I hadn't gone there. If I wasn't-"

"Hey!" Minato yelled, raising his voice for the first time since entering the room. "I've already told you, none of this was your fault. Even if you wasn't there, Kakashi would have-"

His voice was caught in his throat for a second, rendering him mercifully unable to finish that sentence. He took another moment to regain his composure.

"If there's one thing you can guarantee in times like these, it's that you're going to lose people. Dealing with that is hard enough as it is, the last thing you want to do is add to it by putting the blame on your shoulders. The last thing a parent should do is leave their child to face it alone."

A small tear slowly crawled down Naruto's cheek at that point. Smiling a little, Minato dried his son's eyes.

"Seeing as both of us made the mistakes I just talked about, how about we make a deal?" Minato said. "From now on, we both change. I'll be more present and you forgive yourself. We'll get through this together."

Naruto took a moment to think things over before responding. Then, he finally let out a grin and dove on Minato, embracing him in a hug.

"Thank goodness" a voice called out from the door. "I was worried about how long this was going to go one for."

Minato looked over to see Kushina standing in the doorway, close to tears but sporting a smile.

"What are you standing over there for?" Minato called back. "Come on!"

Kushina practically skipped over to them and joined in. There was laughter, tears and, for the first time in such a long time, a genuine sense of happiness inside the home. However, at the back of his mind, Minato knew that it could not last; they were still at war after all. Yet, he didn't realise just how quickly he'd be brought back down to earth.

"What was that?" Kushina whispered, reacting to the small noise they had just heard.

"It's okay, nothing to worry about" Minato quickly assured her. "I can tell by the chakra signature that it's one of the ANBU. He's just outside right now."

Minato walked over and opened the window and was greeted by a hooded masked figure outside.

"Hello Tenzo, what can I do for you tonight?"

"Lord Hokage, I have some urgent news" Tenzo replied hastily. "Something has happened."

Minato could sense panic and grief in his voice, telling him it's urgent.

"Well, what is it?"

Tenzo hesitated before speaking after looking inside the room.

"I think it would be best if you just came with me," he finally said. "This isn't really something we can discuss here."

* * *

An anger problem was never something Minato had suffered from. He was always known to be calm under pressure and cautious where appropriate. But the events of the past year had begun to take their strain on him and this all cumulated in his reaction when he reached the village wall and found out what had happened.

Everyone present simply stared in awe as Minato slammed his fist in to the wall, leaving a massive dent. It was fortunate really that, outside of Sage Mode, he didn't have too much physical strength.

"I apologise for that," Minato said, as he strained his eyes so as not to look at the body before him. "Right, what do we know so far?"

"Very little I'm afraid" Tenzo said apologetically. "Asuma was fighting two unidentified intruders around this area. Kabuto joined him in combat, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. After stabbing Asuma, it seems they were alerted to the fact that we were coming, because they quickly left over the wall."

"So you were already on your way" Minato thought out loud. "Which means you already knew of the intrusion. Why was I not alerted immediately, the barrier should have made an alarm when they strayed off the permitted path through the forest."

"That's the thing, the barrier never made a sound" Tenzo replied. "Asuma simply made a request for backup that we responded to, we had no idea about the intruders until we got here."

That was a major concern. Since he had been Hokage, Minato had placed a barrier around the forest surrounding Konoha. There were only two passages that could be passed through without triggering the barrier. The first was the heavily guarded road that ran through the village. The second was an intricate path that ran through the forest and eventually reached the wall. This path existed in case Jonin needed to leave and enter the village covertly when necessary.

"Perhaps they were able to figure out the path using a sensory type to distinguish between the chakra of the path and the rest of the barrier?" one of the ANBU offered.

"Not possible" Minato replied quickly. "The barrier has such a large array of varying levels of chakra to prevent that. There's no way even the most skilled sensor could figure out the path through that method. No, the cause of this is obvious. We have a spy amongst our Shinobi."

The very thought of it made everyone immediately feel uncomfortable, but there was no other explanation. Minato had considered the possibility that A would have sent in one of his subordinates, but there was never any way to deduce whom it could possibly be.

"So, what do we do now?"

Minato considered his options for a moment before responding to the question, but quickly realised that there was only one course of action.

"Firstly, we need to restructure the defence of the village now that it has been compromised" Minato declared. "I'm going to change the parameters for the barrier. From now on, only those with the ANBU insignia on their shoulder will be able to pass through it without triggering an alarm. Normal Jonin will have to use the main roads."

"And what about this possible informant we have amongst us?" Tenzo asked.

"Well, we only have one lead right now."

For the first time since he had arrived, Minato looked over towards Kabuto, who was sat off to the corner with a medic. Even though he looked to have only sustained minor wounds at most, he appeared to be exhausted. He was simply stating off in to nothingness, with a blank expression on his face. He at least looked like he had been affected by Asuma's death.

Yet, there had always been something off about him that Minato couldn't put his finger on. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere almost, even though he had been in the village since he was very young. All the Jonin knew who he was, yet he doubted that any of them could call him their friend. He just didn't fit.

But, at the end of the day, he was a nice kid. He was a capable medic that put in shifts at the hospital when they needed a little help. Despite his doubts, Minato didn't want to believe that Kabuto would betray them but he had no choice but to investigate.

"Take Kabuto to the interrogation room" Minato told Tenzo. "Then contact Ibiki, I want him to find out everything he can."

"Yes sir."

"But, tell Ibiki not to be too harsh" Minato added. "Remember, until proven otherwise, he's one of our own."

* * *

"_Hakkesho Kaiten_!"

Sasuke shifted his weight to his right and quickly jumped to avoid the spinning ball of chakra. While in the air, he threw several Shuriken attached to wires in the hope of catching his opponent while he was spinning. Unfortunately, Neji appeared to be aware of his plan, as he deflected the Shuriken away.

"Using that rotation defence of yours again, how predictable" Sasuke said, as Neji came to a halt.

"Not quite as predictable as you being unable to get through it" Neji retorted. "But if you insist, I'll change it up a little."

Without warning, Neji ran towards Sasuke and began jabbing his fingers towards his body. Sasuke, very much aware of the damage that could be caused by the jabs, used his Sharingan to dodge every one. Then, Neji made a surprising move. Rather than aiming with his fingers, Neji thrust forward with his palm. Sasuke hopped backwards slightly to avoid it, however he still felt the full force of the blow, and was sent flying backwards.

"I thought I dodged that," Sasuke said bitterly, as he got back to his feat.

"You did, but lets just say it was a different type of attack" Neji grinned. "I'm not all about taijutsu you know."

"Neither am I" Sasuke responded, as he made hand seals. "_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!_"

As Sasuke expected, Neji blocked the flames by using his rotation again. However, he had one more technique left to try out.

"_Chidori Nagashi!"_

Waves of lightning shot out of Sasuke's body, accompanied by the usual screech of birds. The attack collided with the still spinning sphere and quickly wrapped around it, causing an immediate reduction in speed. Within seconds, Neji had stopped spinning completely, and was forced to his knees.

"I can barely move," he stammered. "All right, you win this one Sasuke. Now help me up will you?"

Sasuke helped Neji to walk back from the training area to the main camp. He was thankful for the slow pace of the walk, as it gave him a chance to give his aching muscles a little rest.

"I hope that we don't get attacked or anything, or else we won't be much help," Neji laughed.

"Just go to the medic tent, they'll heal you quickly enough" Sasuke said blandly.

"Erm, yeah I guess" Neji replied awkwardly. "That technique of yours was amazing, I never would have thought that you could channel Chidori like that."

"Kakashi told me how to practice at it, so I did. Nothing else to it."

Sasuke knew what Neji was trying to do, but he didn't really feel like talking. He appreciated the help in training, but he wasn't in the mood for anything else. He hadn't felt like socialising with anyone since it had happened. He spent his days either training or sitting alone in his tent.

"You need me to take you to the medics tent then?" Sasuke asked.

"No thanks, I think I'm regaining my mobility, I can probably walk on my own now" Neji said, as he took his arm off Sasuke's shoulder. "If you needed to talk-"

"Yeah I know, thanks" Sasuke interjected, just wanting to get back to the solitude of his tent. "I'll see you around."

Sasuke could feel Neji's sympathetic stare glaring at the back of his head. In fact, he could feel the same from everyone else in the camp whenever they walked past him. He tried to convince himself that he didn't care about it, that they're sympathy was irrelevant. But that wasn't true. Deep down, he wanted to scream at them, tell them to leave him alone and worry about their own problems. He'd have done it as well, if he weren't aware that it would only make things much worse.

"I cannot believe this!"

Usually, Sasuke could ignore the arguments between his father and his brother. But, this time, things were different. His father wasn't even trying to keep his voice down as he normally would. Interested in what could have caused it, Sasuke slowly made his way over to the medical tent, the source of the noise. He stood just outside and listened in.

"What would you have had me do?" Itachi snapped. "Just take no action? Let them die?"

"You could have used a simple _Katon_" Fugaku roared. "You didn't have to-"

"A _Katon_ wouldn't have worked" Itachi replied. "It was a very delicate trap, I needed something more precise in order to avoid harming them as well. _Amaterasu_-"

"Is a highly dangerous technique!" Fugaku screamed. "Every time you use it, your eyes are damaged. This isn't the first time you've unnecessarily used your Mangekyo on a mission. This isn't the first time you've ended up in the medic tent because you can barely see."

"My eyes will recover" Itachi said. "And how I choose to use them is my decision. They are my eyes!"

"Those eyes belong to the clan as much as they belong to you!" Fugaku yelled. "They are supposed to be used to help the clan!"

"I've already told you, I don't care about the clan!" Itachi said, finally raising his voice in retaliation. "Or did you really forget?"

Itachi's taunt hung in the air, adding to the tension. Suddenly, Sasuke heard movement and he quickly moved out of the way. A second later his father stormed out of the tent, his face furious.

"You can come in now" Itachi called out.

Sasuke instantly knew that he was talking to him. He wasn't even surprised any more; his brother had always been able to tell.

"How long did you know" Sasuke asked, as he walked in.

"I heard you walking over" Itachi replied from his bed, where he lay with his hands covering his eyes. "I guess my temporarily impaired eyesight improved my hearing or something."

Looking at Itachi lying there felt strange to Sasuke. His invincible older brother, the prodigy of the clan, was reduced to something so helpless looking.

"Come here Sasuke," he croaked.

Sasuke went and sat to the chair to Itachi's right. He noticed that it was still cool when he sat down; clearly his father hadn't been sitting there earlier.

"There's a reason that I let you listen in on that," he said. "There's something else you need to see as well."

Itachi lifted his fingers from his eyes and looked towards Sasuke. The sight was horrifying. Blood was still gathered around the lid of the right eye and his usual black eyes were a far lighter shade of grey. It was as if their light had gone out.

"Don't worry, it'll get better after rest" Itachi assured him. "But, there's one thing you need to understand. You need to understand the curse of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

* * *

It was a strangely cold morning. Or maybe the cold wasn't so strange, after all Shikamaru wasn't used to being up before the sunrise. Although, he supposed that it didn't really matter. He was too numb to feel it anyway. Which probably went for all the other Shinobi that were lined up at the village gate. They'd all expected to be returning to their outpost with Asuma, and were all aware they were one short.

"Hey Shikamaru" Naruto yawned, as he walked out of the darkness and towards the front gate.

"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked him.

"Thought I'd come to see you off" Naruto shrugged. "I heard that your Dad was away on a mission, so I thought that someone should be here."

Shikamaru couldn't help but feel jealous of Naruto at that moment. Not because he got to stay in the village while he had to leave. It was the way he could be so positive despite everything that had happened. It wasn't that Naruto wasn't upset about Asuma's death; it was just that he could still function normally. He guessed that getting over Kakashi's death just days before helped.

"I appreciate it" Shikamaru muttered. "I know how hard it is for you to drag yourself out of bed after all."

Naruto flashed his almost trademark smile and scratched the back of his head.

"So erm, who's going to, erm-"

"Replace Asuma? If you mean as commander of the outpost, then I don't know" Shikamaru mumbled. "Probably one of the other senior Jonin that are already there. As for his physical replacement, well we're waiting for him right now."

He put his hands in his pockets and instinctively placed his fingers around the cool metallic shape in there. He hadn't left it out of his sight during the last few days and its presence was comforting for him.

"Make sure you talk to Hinata when you get there" Naruto said. "I know she's upset that she couldn't come back for the funeral."

"Yeah, I know" Shikamaru replied, even though the last thing he wanted to do was talk about it more. Especially with someone who he knew was going to be emotional. He just didn't know how to handle that.

"So what are you going to be doing now?" Shikamaru asked, trying to change the subject.

"I don't know exactly," Naruto said. "Dad said something about more specialised training, but I don't know what he means. Guess I'll just have to wait and see. I just hope that I get to use these."

Naruto pulled out a pair of oddly shaped knives from his pouch.

"Are they Asuma's?"

"Yeah, Kurenai Sensei gave me them yesterday" Naruto grinned. "They're a little heavier than mine and not as easy to use but-"

"They were his" Shikamaru finished his sentence. "Well it's good that your gift will prove so useful to you. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with a lighter."

The small talk was good; it helped calm his nerves. However, that didn't last long as some of his fellow Shinobi behind him perked up at the arrival of a final person.

"Here he is" one of them shouted. "Alright everyone, prepare to get moving!"

Shikamaru recognised the man instantly and noted that he was walking straight towards him.

"Kabuto? What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked.

"I was chosen to replace Asuma," he said. "It was all a bit last minute but we organised it. Apparently they needed another medic up there anyway, so here I am."

Shikamaru couldn't believe the insensitivity of it all. It was bad enough that Kabuto had to witness Asuma's death, but to be his replacement as well? It was basically a daily reminder of what had happened, of his own powerlessness to stop it. Even though he could see the sense behind it, for once Shikamaru disagreed with the logical decision.

"Hey Shikamaru, could I speak with you a minute?"

Shikamaru had been afraid of that happening, again. Kabuto had been seeking him out for the past few days trying to have a word with him. He'd already spoken with Naruto and Kurenai, probably to apologise or something. Shikamaru didn't really want to here it so he'd avoided him. He had hoped he'd get away with it, but it appeared that was no longer possible.

"Maybe a little later, the company is heading out" Shikamaru said, as he noticed the group start to march out of the gate. "We need to get going now."

"All right" Kabuto frowned, not hiding his disappointment. "I'll talk to you when we get there then."

"Can't wait" Shikamaru replied sarcastically, as Kabuto walked away. "Well Naruto, guess I'm off."

"Don't worry, you'll be back before you know it" Naruto grinned. "Then you'll see my awesome new power!"

Shikamaru gave a weak smile to the joke. With nothing left to say, he gave Naruto a nod and turned around, joining the rest of the group. As he walked away, he didn't turn back once, he couldn't bare to. It would make the fact that he was leaving everything he knew all too real.

* * *

"Kisame, it's making that noise again."

"I told you already Deidera, you'll just have to ignore it."

Deidera didn't see how that was possible. Not only did it sound like it some kind of monster but it also moved around on Kisame's back, its handle flying around. It was times like that when Deidera realised that he somewhat missed Sasori's cold silence.

"It's so hot!" Deidera moaned. "I feel like we've been walking through this desert for weeks."

"Do you ever do anything but complain?" Kisame snapped. "I used to think Sasori was exaggerating about you as well."

"Yeah well, I don't really care what that fake says about me anyway" Deidera hit back. "I don't understand why we couldn't just fly there using my bird, we'd have got this done much quicker."

"What? You don't think such a creature suddenly appearing in the skies during wartime wouldn't attract suspicion? You're more delusional than I thought" Kisame laughed.

Deidera decided not to rise to it as they continued on. He was focused on his art show he was about to give.

"We're nearly there, are you ready Deidera?" Kisame asked.

"That's a stupid question, I'm always ready when it comes to my art" Deidera replied. "I could go right now if I wanted to."

"And completely ruin the plan in the process" Kisame said. "You know you have to wait until sunset."

"Yeah I know, wait until the visibility is at its worst blah blah" Deidera muttered. "We wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if Sasori's man hadn't gone and got himself killed in the war."

"That can't be helped" Kisame sighed. "We knew there was a possibility of that happening but it was a risk we had to take. We couldn't afford releasing the jutsu too early and have him get caught out."

Kisame suddenly stopped and put his arm out, which brought Deidera to a halt along with him.

"This is as far as we go," he declared. "Any closer and we'll be spotted. We just need to lay low here for a while until we can strike."

Deidera didn't like the idea of sitting around in the middle of the desert for hours with Kisame as company, but he knew he had no choice. Reluctantly, he sat on the ground.

"Hey I thought we were being met here by-"

"I already told you, he got here earlier than us," Kisame said. "Besides, he's only the backup. If everything goes well, we won't even need him. And it better go to plan, I'd rather not see that creepy bastard if I can help it."

For once, Deidera agreed with his temporary partner. Out of all of the Akatsuki, that man was most certainly the most disturbing and least trustworthy of them all.

After a few hours, the sun finally began to dip beyond the horizon, leaving very little visibility. It was finally time for him to begin. He started by placing his hand in to his right pouch and let the clay slip in to the mouth within his palm. He bit down with a satisfying squelch, as he poured his chakra in to the soft clay.

"Disgusting" Kisame said, as he eyed Deidera suspiciously. "I never liked your jutsu from the day we recruited you."

"Just another fool who can't appreciate art, aren't you Kisame?" Deidera said, as he finished his creation. "Now, you just sit back and watch, see if you can't learn a few things."

Within a second, the small model bird in Deidera's hand expanded to become a giant hawk big enough for Deidera to fit on the back of. He did just that and slowly crept up in to the air.

"I guess I'll see you in there" Deidera said, as he gave a mock salute before racing forward.

It took a matter of seconds before he was flying directly above Sunagakure. It was the first time he had seen the village and he was particularly impressed with its architecture. He admired the way it blended in with its surroundings so well; one of the few villages that actually did that.

"_That means it might actually be worth destroying_," he thought. "_So, let's get on with it then. Some C1 to start with, just to draw them out._"

He indiscriminately dropped spider like creatures as he flew around the village and delighted in watching them explode as they made contact. He could hear screams of women and children as he did so, he could hear their panic.

"Seems my warm up got a good review!" he joked out loud. "Now, lets see if there's an official response."

The response came quickly, as arrows soon littered the sky. Deidera couldn't help but laugh at this meek attempt.

"A few arrows with paper bombs on the end? Talk about underestimating me" he muttered. "I'll have this dealt with quickly enough."

He took particular delight in watching the giant bows be destroyed one after another. If he looked with his microscope over his eye, he could see the individual Shinobi be flung around; some of them were even dismembered.

Deidera felt a strong breeze shoot past his left ear, which alerted him to the coming danger. Without looking, he instinctively moved towards the ground, dodging a wall of sand in the process. He then flew in a more erratic fashion to prevent whatever was pursuing him from catching up. However, the sand kept right up with him.

"_How persistent_" he thought. "_Hopefully a few of these will slow it down._"

With no time to look, he threw a small bunch of C1 over his shoulder. After hearing the explosion, he quickly took to the air. Thankfully, the sand didn't immediately follow.

"Oh, I see. That isn't sand at all," Deidera said, as he inspected the substance from above. "Gold dust it is then. I'm honoured, I never would have thought I'd face the Kazekage this soon."

* * *

"_Who the hell is this guy?_" the Kazekage wondered, as he looked at the man above him. "_Why has he just attacked us? He doesn't look like anyone from Kumo or Iwa. Is there another force that we're unaware of?_"

He didn't have much chance to reflect on that as he noticed another wave of explosives head his way. He didn't have much difficulty in protecting himself; a mere movement of his hand caused the gold dust to come to his aid.

"_I need to take him alive_. _It's the only way I'll be able to get any answers out of him. Firstly, I have to get him off that damn bird._"

Thinking tactically, he split up his dust. He sent another large section to directly chase his opponent. Just like last time, he duck and dived his way to avoid the dust. However, what he didn't realise was that he was being lead to a certain area of the village by the dust.

Eventually, the bird flew to the edge of the village. There, the Kazekage raised his hand and brought the rest of his dust up from the ground. He got a direct hit and knocked his opponent off the bird.

"_Now all I have to do is catch him with the dust and he's mine._"

Not for the first time, things didn't go to plan. Before he could be grabbed, a huge creature suddenly emerged out of nowhere. It was at least four times as big as what he was using before.

"Is that a dragon?" came a voice from behind.

The Kazekage spun around to see one of his most faithful subordinates stood there, his face filled with horror.

"Ibiki, thank you for coming. Is Gaara in position?" the Kazekage asked.

"Yes sir, he's standing by and waiting further instruction" Ibiki replied nervously.

"Good, then give him the signal immediately" he ordered. "I don't like the look of that thing so I want to take him out as quickly as possible."

Ibiki nodded before sending a blue flair in to the air. Within a second, a wave of sand arose from the right hand side of the village and flew straight for the enemy. This seemed to surprise him and he naturally tried to fly the opposite direction, where he was met by the Kazekage's gold dust.

"_Got you now._"

Rather, they would have got him if a giant wave of water hadn't appeared out of the blue to knock back Gaara's sand, allowing the blonde man to escape.

"Water? Where could that have come from?" Ibiki yelled.

"Obviously a knew enemy, quickly find a group of ANBU to go and assist Gaara" he screamed back. "His sand is wet now, his defence won't be anywhere near as quick."

A quick glance to his right confirmed this fear, as Gaara took to the air. He obviously wanted to avoid relying on his defence, which was now much more vulnerable.

"I'd be focusing your attention on me if I were you!" the man shouted down.

The Kazekage looked up to see a large object screaming towards him at frightening pace. He slapped his hands together in order to bring up a wall of dust, but it was not as effective as he had hoped. The object exploded, destroying the roof of the Kage building where he was standing, and dumping him on the ground.

"Damn it!" he yelled, as he got back to his feet.

He saw the mouth of the dragon expand and realised that it was about to send another attack. Fortunately, he had time to gather his dust and put up a better defence.

"_Lets see him get through this with that jutsu."_

Just before firing, the dragon spun its head to the right. Stunned, the Kazekage quickly understood what his plan was.

"_He's aiming for Gaara instead! Shit, I already gathered up my dust as well, I won't be able to use as much to protect him! That bastard, that was his plan all along."_

He prepared to swing his arm in order to send the dust to Gaara's aid, when something burst out from the shadows. It latched on to his hand and pierced the skin, instantly making it numb.

"A snake! But how?" he wondered, as he lost feeling in his legs. "Poison? No, not a time like this."

He could feel his consciousness slipping as his vision became blurred. One of the last things he saw was the missile being fired at his unsuspecting son.

"Gaara…. No…."

* * *

**Sorry (again). I've had to work a lot more shifts than I had planned at work and it's been incredibly hot here, which makes sitting down at a computer for long periods difficult. Still, I was able to get this out. I won't make any promises about the next chapter, but I'll be as quick as I can. I don't intend for the waits to be the month long things that they have been recently.**

**Next Chapter: Rescue**


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